reality matches up to our expectations. And how the mismatch, when it inevitably happens, shapes our hopes or fears for the future.

We constantly reset our expectations. When results exceed our expectations, we usually don’t enjoy them as much or for as long as we should. We’re on to the “bigger and better” we assume is coming next. We feel entitled to that next “pay day.”

When our expectations aren’t met, we feel cheated and mourn the absence of what we thought we were supposed to get.

We have a lot more control over how we feel than we realize. Because we can learn to enjoy the ride and not be so dependent on the result for our enjoyment. We can also set more of our hopes on things we have control over. And not people we’ve never met. And probably will never know.

Today I’m deciding not to let the decision about where some twenty year old kid I’ve never met will bounce a ball determine whether my day is ruined or not. He might not even be 20 for all I know.

I have people I know and love and a lot to be grateful for that are much more important. So do all of you.

Random thoughts. Probably not well articulated. But if I look at it from a certain angle, too much angst about this starts to seem silly.