My fall trip last year was around the time of what was expected to be peak colors in the variety of places where I’d be. So, many people asked, “Did you see peak colors?” “Have the colors peaked?” Spoiler alert: the colors weren’t at their peak. However, the views were beautiful and the experiences were wonderful.
Why do we need so much to be “peak”? Why do we want the highest standard all the time? Not that high standards aren’t good as goals, but it’s important to monitor our expectations. If we always want and expect the best of the best—whether we’ve seen someone else enjoy it and will be jealous if we don’t have the same experience, or our satisfaction is tied to a specific outcome instead of being able and willing to see the beauty even in the unexpected—we are always going to be playing a came of catch up to our expectations and perhaps what we believe we deserve.
What we expect as the peak and what we experience as the peak are not the same. We can appreciate what we have and what we experience, even if it’s different. If I was only looking for the perfect panoramic view of stunning colors on the horizon or the bending archway of a winding road to drive through as brilliant colors fluttered around me, I’d miss what I was able to notice. I’d miss the stunning architecture and lapping waves. I’d miss smiling at strangers on the sidewalk. I’d miss the water-shaped rocks, vibrant paint colors among houses, and unusual signs. The content of the peak changes even when the height of the peak does not.
Experiencing the peak isn’t an either/or condition. If certain circumstances are not present, we don’t negate the wonderful experience. We still appreciate and embrace it. We learn from it. Disappointments don’t have to shatter a situation. They can reveal a situation. We can learn as much about ourselves because of them as we thought we would from the heights of expected experiences.
What are your expectations of today? And how flexible are you to appreciating the surprises?
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