When Expectation Meets Reality...

_{Andrea Piacquadio}

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Right from childhood, we have always had one expectation or the other. They could have been lofty, they could have been unrealistic, but they were expectations all the same. These expectations were usually a result of our immediate environment and the belief that what we are expecting will work out well for us.

No one has expectations and expects to be disappointed. We daydream and hope that the vision we have in our heads will turn out to be what will eventually come to life for us. Whether it is within our power to make it happen or not, we keep on hoping and praying that it is that very thing that we want that will come to pass.

But alas, life does not work the way it works in our heads. And every time we raise our expectations, they get dashed down ruthlessly by reality. Every time expectation and reality clash, expectation usually suffers a shameful defeat.

We see this in just about every facet of our lives and we still keep on seeing it with each passing day. As children, all we could think of was finishing secondary school and getting into the university so we would be out of the control of our parents. Free to do as we wanted, getting monthly allowances and using them to take good care of ourselves. We would think about how we would allocate different sums of money to different uses so that no area of our school will suffer. And then, there will definitely be the money we would use to flex. After all, just because we are in school does not mean we won’t enjoy ourselves right?

_{Yaroslav Shuraev}

And so, we would study and work hard to the bone, burn the midnight candle just so we can get that admission we are craving.

And eventually, it works out. We get admitted into the university and reality smacks us in the face. A resounding slap! Life in school is very different from what we had envisioned. The allowance money is never enough for the most basic things, where will the money come to flex? Even if the money is available, how will you have time to flex when you are being buried under assignments and tests from lecturers? As they say, them no dae tell person.

But then, we move on. We get used to the lifestyle and begin to look forward to life after school. We are either looking to get employed or we want to start up our business. We would simply invest money into the business, do advertising, get customers, and then boom! ROIs would be flowing in like a tsunami. We would make all our money back and we would expand. Simple.

But then, another smack in the face! Who told you running a business is that easy? When you realize just how hard it is, or how difficult it is to secure a job, you will begin to question your sanity for looking forward to that era of your life. Normally, this should have been the time when you would be getting ready to leave home, but you would not dare because you know that sapa is very real and it is following you closely.

_{Inzmam Khan}

Still, you don’t give up. You keep on working at it until you get the hang of it and then make it work out for you.

I have given two instances to this now, and I believe you get what I am trying to say here. Of course, there are many times when expectations and reality go hand in hand, and there are also times when reality will even exceed expectations.

The point is that no matter what we are going through or where we find ourselves, we must never lose that expectation that got us started on the journey in the first place. It is that expectation that allows us to push through the unpleasantness, especially when it doesn’t agree with reality. It’s what gives us the hope to push through and keep on striving to do our best.

No one knows tomorrow, and for that reason alone there is hope. As long as you have that expectation, as long as you hold on to that vision, you will be able to go through with the journey and make it to the end.

And there, your prize will be waiting for you!

_{Andrea Piacquadio}

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_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, I would love to know what you are thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

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