If we do not expect anything, then we will never despair. When we expect, ‘I’ dominates; when we hope, something higher than us dominates. A discontented mind stokes expectations, whereas the heart kindles hope.
Expectation foils freedom; it leads us to accept only those outcomes that favor the wishes driving the expectation.
But hope unlocks possibilities and enables us to accept anything that may come, keeping us flexible and spontaneous, and empowering us to hope infinitely.
If expectations are the seeds of desires, hope is the soil where faith blossoms.
The gates to disappointment are unlocked by expectations, whereas hope inspires us to one day knock confidently on the door of God.
Expectation entangles us in complexities. When we expect, the mind projects its version of what should happen. Hope? It frees us from the coils of worry. The more we hope the more the heart guides us, so that we achieve what we need to do.
To cover up a lie more lies need to be told. Similarly, to fulfil an expectation we end up expecting exponentially to satisfy the first expectation! Hope, on the other hand, creates a condition of prayer. In this state we patiently strive to overcome obstacles and plant the flag of victory at the summit of self-mastery.
And yet expectations do serve an important purpose. What is that purpose? When we have high expectations of ourselves, the resulting discontent helps us grow faster.
We can hope with a fervent heart for the Divine within us to support and bless us and embrace us in its loving arms.
While expectations trap us in an infinite mess, hope helps us stride with courage towards infinity, so that one day we will become Infinite.
Article by VEENA MISHRA
