Anticipation

10..9...7..6...5...4...3..2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Welcome 2011 and all my new and old readers.  Hope you had a wonderful and safe holiday season now that its just about over.  The topic that happens to be on my mind with the coming of the new year is............. Anticipation (Get it? I paused, attempting to cause some anticipation).  When you think back the holiday season is full of anticipation starting, sometimes, even before Thanksgiving.  Anticipation for the gifts you want, the reaction of loved ones when the open the things you got them, waiting for the first snowfall, all the way up to that big ball dropping in NYC bringing in the new year.  When you think about it anticipation is what makes the holiday season sooo exciting, which I find ironic with the growing impatience of our society.

The act of anticipating is somewhat of a double edged sword when you look at the outcomes that could possibly occur.  For example you get really excited for a movie to come out due to the building anticipation and excitement that you feel in watching previews and so on.  Then you go on the opening night to finally see the flick and it turns out to be NOTHING compared to what you expected.  Now you feel regret, a little sadness, and ALOT of anger because movies aren't cheap and you kind of want you money back.  Thats the downside of anticipation and the main reason I personally avoid both having too high a level of anticipation or expectation for things forthcoming. An 18th century Irish writer puts this well well as he says:  "A great source of calamity lies in regret and anticipation; therefore wise is a person who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future." - Oliver Goldsmith

I am not saying that you should never try to anticipate anything, then you would often look silly and unprepared.  Anticipation is part of what leads to many affluent individuals' success.  From the sports, to finance, to technology anticipation is what separates the leaders from the followers.  There is a need for a certain degree of expectation and preparation in order to succeed in whatever one is doing, but it is important to remember that over preparation can lead to the "calamity" that Goldsmith speaks of.  Over preparation end up leaving you a more of a disadvantage if things don't go perfectly as planned (which they rarely do).  Just remember FLEXIBILITY is just as vital as anticipating.  Well that pretty much how I feel on the subject... how bout you?

What up doe,
Tª