Well, I'm back from a fine meditation retreat. Nothing like a little concentration and mindfulness practice to clear the mind. Of course not to say that every moment was peaceful: pain in the back, restlessness wanting to be somewhere else, day-dreaming... LOTS of that going on actually!! But the over-arching result was a good pat on the back and personal "well done." That's as it should be.
What would have derailed me is if I bowed to my own expectations about what should have been happening or resulting from the time. But if you've read anything I've rambled about its that expectations are dangerous. They can be misleading, set us up for failure, or just keep us completely distracted from what is actually happening around us.
For example, remember in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure when their history teacher was about to write them off for missing their presentation? Instead they appeared in the nick of time and gave a kick-ass report? The final result was so great because they actually fully investigated their material (that is travelled through time meeting historical figures), got into lots of useful trouble (like saving the princesses without getting their heads chopped off), and came to some pretty mature conclusions (Abe Lincoln telling everyone to "Party on, Dude!"). Basically they looked and figured things out, and those who had expectations of them were surprised.
Naturally, things went their way. It is Hollywood. But in the realm of us non-fictional beings things don't always go well. Like I mentioned: living out of a van while still running a business, being broke and juggling bills with uncertainty of cash flow. But it is your own excellent adventure so why not fully invest in it!! I know that was the mindset I had after the retreat, so I'm all in on me. :)
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