I promise this really happened.
I frequently sit alone on the pier that overlooks our small lake. I’ve been told the lake is full of fish but I doubt that it is true. I seldom see the fish jump and I don’t see the fishermen reeling them in very often. I slowly grow to believe, without a doubt, that the lake has very few fish in it.
So one day, I’m sitting with a friend on this same pier. I hear the sound of splashing water. I don’t think much about it. As my friend and I enjoy our conversation with one another, the splashes become more frequent. I tell my friend how shocked I am that so much activity is going on in the water. He asks me why. I tell him that I had grown to doubt that many fish lived in our lake. My friend looks at me and smiles.
My friend explains that he expects fish to jump in the water. To his way of thinking, if fish do not jump and make splashes, the water is dead. After this, we sit in silence as we watch the fish continue to liven up the space around us.
This experience sent a strong message to me about expectations. I had grown to expect still water. I got still water. My friend expected lively water. He got lively water. Apparently, his expectations regarding the water outweighed mine in a very
powerful way.
Can it really be that simple? Do our expectations determine what we receive?
What kind of expectations do you have about your life? What would happen if you changed your expectations to match the deepest desires of your heart?
I notice that I see more and more fish being caught by the people who fish around our pier. I have no doubt that our lake is full of fish and I now expect to see those fish jumping all over the place.
It is much more enjoyable to be around water that feels so alive!
Beverly Keaton Smith, CPCC owns and operates Embrace Your Gifts and Soar! She is a certified life coach who offers individual life coaching, group coaching, workshops and retreats to women who are ready to discover and embrace their unique gifts so they can live more athentically and joyfully. She is also co-author of The Book of Druthers. To learn more about Beverly, visit http://www.embraceyourgifts.com
