Anticipation and Disappointment Part 1
February 15, 2026
Anticipation and Disappointment Part 1
Welcome to this week’s Daily Reflections on “Anticipation and Disappointment.”
Have you ever noticed how quickly joy can turn to disappointment? One moment you’re looking forward to something, and the next, it’s vaporized. This week, something I’d been anticipating for months was suddenly canceled, but in that instant, I discovered something surprising about the nature of disappointment itself.
I’d planned for this special time, imagined it, and allowed it to become part of my future. And here’s what I discovered in reflection: I hadn’t just looked forward to this event; I had unconsciously woven it into my story that it became part of my enthusiasm for life. Such is the compulsion of the ego: it always anticipates the things that enhances its story. This is neither good nor bad, yet when the things we look forward to become more important than the present, we are in the ego’s story more than we are in consciousness. The cancellation did not just disappoint me; it took down part of the story my ego had constructed about how life should unfold. Luckily, I became conscious of what my ego had done.
Here’s where the Enneagram’s wisdom became my lifeline. Yes, I’ll admit it, for a few seconds (okay, maybe minutes), I found myself mentally spinning stories: whose fault was this? What circumstances led to the cancellation? But what brought the shift point from the ego’s negative blaming to the soul’s acceptance, and from festering to serenity?
The answer was crystal clear: I recognized the illogical pattern of my old friend, ego, insisting it owned something it never possessed. My ego had written a story and irrationally expected reality to follow the script. But reality had other plans.
In that recognition, something beyond myself happened and spaciousness opened up. I saw how illusory my ego’s anticipations were. With this, my soul could finally breathe, rising above ego’s need to resent, personalize, and stew. When I rested in the awareness of my soul’s connection to a higher way, the disappointment dissolved. In its place came the freedom to embrace Divine Order, whatever that may be.
At its heart, this is about trust. When life takes an unexpected turn, our suffering is proportional to how much we trust Divine Order over the ego’s plans. Think of all the hours, days, even months we spend anticipating potential illusions, when all along our soul knew a better way. I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t get excited about our plans, whether they spring from ego, soul, or that beautiful human mixture of both. Excitement is part of being alive. What I am suggesting is alertness to all the possibilities without letting our fantasies take over.
My father, a lifelong businessperson, used to talk about “the tricks of the trade” which he explained are the secrets of conducting sales that are good for the seller and the buyer. I adapt that same phrase to spiritual growth: The “trick of the trade” is to be so connected to your soul that you can spot ego’s grip early and release it gently, without struggle. This is when something beautiful happens: the soul lifts our disappointment and raises our gaze to the hills above, where new possibilities await.
Spiritual practice: Bring to mind your last significant disappointment. Gently unpack it with curiosity and compassion. Can you identify the ego’s voice? The soul’s whisper? Notice how they might be beautifully intertwined.
Self-inquiry: What is it about disappointment that unsettles you? What might it be teaching you about where you place your trust?
Prayer:
Dear God, please grant me the grace of gentle release and the ability to trust reality. May I hold my plans lightly and keep your love closest to me. Amen
