Realistic Expectations
Adjusting Your Emotional States with Alice Walker (The Secondhand Inspiration Project)
The Secondhand Inspiration Project begins with a motivational quote and ventures wherever the creative path meanders.
“Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise.” - Alice Walker
I’ve recently become more aware of how I can influence my emotional states by managing expectations.
Now I know this isn’t some brilliant discovery. Mental health professionals and self-help gurus frequently preach this concept. Let’s call it a personal eureka — it took some time for me to recognize its impact. If I expect nothing to happen, then I limit my disappointment when it does. And this allows me to feel ample joy when something wonderful does occur.
A few months ago, I wanted to quit writing.
I spent years churning out poems, short stories, essays, research papers, reports, and articles that were published widely in various literary journals, blogs, magazines, and anthologies. Yet I still felt like a hack and a failure, mostly because I didn’t have a published book.
It may seem silly to think someone who had creative work included in more than 250 different publications and won several awards would think they are a failure. But it was true. In my mind, I sucked as a writer because I…