Judgement & Expectation

I used to allow judgments and expectations of others to lessen my level of human connectedness, but I’ve discovered a better way to live.

We’ve all judged a book by its cover.

Or wondered to ourselves, “how can this person help me?”

How quickly we make up our minds about other people!

One night in Barcelona, my perspective on human connection began to change…

Sitting inside a chic, local bar, I wasn’t in the mood to mingle. But not because I was feeling tired or antisocial. I just wanted to people-watch with my travel companion, Liz. But also because I thought to myself, “Why engage? What can these strangers, halfway across the world, do for me?” I regret harboring such foolish thoughts back then!

Liz doesn’t see the world this way. She wanted to mix with the locals. Just talk to them about anything! She didn’t have an agenda. She didn’t have any expectations. And the more she encouraged me to join her in conversation, the more I resisted. I made up excuses...anything to keep from talking with strangers. I can be stubborn, but Liz is persistent and eventually she got through to me. Thank god for her!

All opportunities in life flow from the human connections we nurture.

For weeks, her lesson lingered in my mind…

I began to wonder about the true source of my resistance that night?

I found myself thinking, “George…what special connection might have waited for you that night? What life opportunities?"

These thoughts, they wouldn’t let me go!

Then overlooked connections throughout everyday life started began occurring to me.

"What treasure am I missing, right under my nose?" I thought.

Life presents opportunities! Are we brave enough to explore them?

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage"