We are less likely to be disheartened and discouraged by life’s disappointments if we simply lower our expectations.
But, a life lived with low expectations is hardly worth living.
While we may come to accept that the reality of our circumstances is not what we had once hoped for, we should not stop hoping.
Hope keeps us going.
Hope keeps us striving for more and better from ourselves, our relationships, and our circumstances.
Our expectations, like our hopes, should remain high for ourselves and for those with whom we choose to associate.
We should hope for and expect the best from life.
When we are let down, of course we should reevaluate our beliefs and ideals to ensure that we are being realistic.
Sometimes, however, it is not our beliefs and ideals that need to change, but our circumstances.
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo.
Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Kogen Dojo Self Defense Academy where he teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
All photos by Robert Van Valkenburgh unless otherwise noted.*
*Robert Van Valkenburgh’s black and white photography can be seen at My Darkness To Light
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