Expectation

Lately I’ve realized I’m holding tightly to an expectation of where I “should be” with my writing work (hint…further along). There are no true guideposts, so of course this is an arbitrary expectation that I’m setting for myself.

This morning, I’m meditating on releasing expectation around timelines. Instead of focusing on the gap between where I am and where I deem I “should be,” I can just be present to where I am now. I can remain focused on the work itself, not on any perception of the work or how it may be received.

As Julia Cameron points out in The Artist’s Way, when we focus on how our work looks to the outside world, on whether we are receiving enough credit, enough fame, we are left with a feeling of lack and scarcity. We’ve flipped the question from “Is the work going well?” to “How does it look to them?” Julia reminds us that “the point of the work is the work.”

As we head into the new week,

May I release expectations around timelines, around where I am or where I need to be.
May I release expectations around outcome and instead focus on effort, on the present.
May where I am be enough.

I trust that I am where I need to be.
I have all the time I need.