The Chains of Expectation

Expectations. Expectation is the lasso of our longing to reign in the beautiful dynamism of life during our time on Earth. Expectation is the language of that lasso that is expressed in institutions of any form: religious, socioeconomic, cultural, marital, etc. We chain ourselves to these expectations then wonder why oh why are we so complacent, so lifeless, so unsatisfied. We create these pictures in our brains of how each expectation should be accomplished or fulfilled and are dumbfounded at the injustice we feel when our expectations are not met, because we are all different and will add our spice to any understanding of an institution. Sometimes we go so far as to knit these expectations we have adopted from institutions or that quiet but very alive entity called "Society" and paste them onto our very character and are constantly frustrated or disappointed in ourselves because we cannot measure up. Then we become puppets to these lifeless, soulless entities and constantly look for anything that will give us what these lifeless, soulless entities cannot give us: LIFE. We are living breathing creatures who cannot get life from these soulless entities that we have given so much power. So why are people surprised that we get so much LIFE out of hearing anything that goes against them in the tragic, scandalous, or atypical stories in what we call "news." Why do we have this constant battle with our "sinful nature," to spend money we don't have, to go against the grain, to think impure thoughts about people who are not our spouses? Because we are chained by expectation and have forgotten how to embrace life as it comes, instead of trying to control it. Little surprises await us every turn if we can just allow ourselves to exist, to be, to embrace nature, love, and God in whatever form we experience him, her, it. We can offer each other and ourselves so much if we allow ourselves to be who we are instead of trying to react to the chains of expectation.