Here it is at the start of a new year (2018), and I’m facing one of my worst fears. Trust me, it’s not what you think. It’s possible computer damage from a water spill, which means possible repairs and money that I don’t want (and don’t have) to spend. Like so many other things that have happened in my life, I could see the damage coming long before it arrived but still did nothing about it.

Why didn’t I take heed of my foresight and take the necessary precautions to prevent the mishap? I was so busy focusing on what I expected to happen that I didn’t see the unexpected coming . . . at all.

Oftentimes, we approach life and relationships in the same way. We’re too busy trying our best not to get hurt that we don’t even see the hurt we’re causing. We’re so overprotective of ourselves that we forget to protect the ones we love. Then we have the nerve to be shocked when our lives and relationships are broken and sometimes beyond repair. While it’s easy to say, “It’s not me; it’s them,” it takes strength to realize, “It’s not them; it’s me.”

If you asked anyone why x, y, z didn’t work out, I’m quite sure the person would tell you, “Things just didn’t go the way I expected them to,” or “Things never go the way I expect them to.” Well, who said things had to go the way you expected for them to work out? Who’s not to say that the way you wanted things to be probably wasn’t the way they were intended to be?

Yes, the unexpected hurts sometimes, but life wouldn’t be life without it. I wouldn’t have had a desire to write this blog post without a push from the unexpected. The unexpected teaches us how to appreciate life’s ups and downs and marvel at its beauty. It grooms us. It fine-tunes us. It strengthens us. It matures us. It even prepares us for the many unexpected things that lie ahead. Aren’t these some of the things we expect to experience, anyway?

Starting here today, declare that you will no longer allow your unrealistic expectations to shift your focus from the unexpected. If you can expect to grow and prosper, then you can expect to stumble and fall. If you can expect to laugh and celebrate, then you can expect to cry and mourn. It’s all a part of the process. There’s a season for everything.

No one can ever fully experience their best if they can’t handle their worst. Once you’ve been there (I mean really been there), absolutely nothing can catch you off guard because you know what the unexpected truly holds. 

So what became of my computer damage? I weathered the storm and borrowed a laptop until I could afford to purchase a new one. And guess what happened when that computer stopped working properly? I already had more than enough money saved to purchase the one I’m typing on now.

There’s so much freedom in changing your perspective. If you haven’t done so, I suggest you try it. When you do, you realize anything and everything can be expected as there are no true coincidences in life—only life lessons that come when you least expect them to.

 

Confess with Me: I will not fear the unexpected. I will embrace it as an opportunity to grow.