Most of us, on a day-to-day basis, go through life carried along by a constant stream of expectations. In fact, these expectations are so common to our sense of self and its well-being that we barely even realize we have them until we run into something that dashes them. For proof of this, haven’t you ever been surprised at how upset you can become over the smallest change in how someone treats you? Or what goes through you when, perhaps, the street you usually take to get to work is closed for repairs? Seen from this vantage point, our lives reveal at least one great truth about the way we see events: Almost anything we encounter that is unexpected is usually construed as something negative.

This discovery has far-reaching implications for anyone wishing to walk the spiritual path, because — simply put — the heart and soul, foundation and rafters of the true spiritual life is the unexpected. Let’s take a closer look at this finding… [to be continued]