Welcome to 2025!
Last week my orchid cactus produced a long awaited bloom.
It’s been a five year wait so I was quite excited when I spotted it early morning and rushed to take a photo.
I was glad I did because three hours later it was no more.
There are many moments in life that are fleeting.
These might be events or something desired that is long anticipated.
Much like my orchid bloom, the eventual culmination doesn’t always match our expectations.
We can feel let down, disappointed or perhaps feeling a void because we no longer have that particular thing to look forward to.
Charles Dickens illustrated this in his novel, Great Expectations.
The main character, Pip, inherits money from a secret benefactor.
He views this fortune as a stepping stone to marrying the girl of his dreams.
When he ultimately learns that money was not necessarily part of that larger plan, he realises he has taken for granted so many important relationships and gifts in his life.
His expectations had robbed him of fully appreciating his reality.
We tend to overestimate how happy we will be once we have what we think we want, without stopping to consider what really brings us joy.
Happiness is a response to what is happening in the moment but it’s not long-lasting.
Joy is a state of being, characterised by contentment and satisfaction.
We experience joy when we savour and have gratitude for what we already have.
If this year, you find that what is happening is not meeting your expectations, actively look for the good in what you have.
Once you’re over disappointment, you may find you have something you didn’t initially realise you wanted.
Hoping this year brings you unexpected moments of happiness undergirded by a state of contentment, gratitude and joy!
By Linda Gray
