Anticipation and Disappointment Part 2
February 16, 2026
Anticipation and Disappointment Part 2: When Two Hearts Beat as One
Have you ever wondered why you anticipate the outcome you want? Have you ever wondered why you avoid the outcome you do not want?
These are some of life’s most revealing questions, because our ego and our soul can desire the same outcome yet be traveling on entirely different paths. One path leads to alignment with the Divine, the other to a repeating narrative of our own making. The core difference? It all comes down to intention, and intention changes everything.
Frequently, the ego’s and soul’s desired outcomes are the same, but the intentions behind them tell two completely different stories. Take Sam, for example. Both his ego and his soul desperately wanted his son, Gary, to thrive in his career. On the surface, this looked like pure parental love. But if you look closer, you’ll see two streams flowing in the same direction for vastly different intentions.
Sam’s ego wanted Gary to succeed because Sam needed validation, proof, and a story to tell. Sam carried wounds from his own career disappointments, and his ego found a clever solution: if his son Gary shone brightly enough, Sam could bask in that light. His ego narrative was: “I am successful because my son is successful. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. We are a family of winners.” At dinner parties, Sam would steer conversations toward Gary’s achievements, feeling a rush of pride each time his friends expressed admiration. Sam’s ego was using Gary’s success as a balm for Sam’s own deficiencies.
But Sam’s soul had an entirely different intention. His soul loved Gary simply because Gary existed, not because of what Gary could do for Sam’s reputation or self-image. The soul remembered Sam’s own struggles and genuinely wanted to spare his child that pain. Sam’s soul genuinely wanted Gary to flourish for one reason alone: Gary’s own well-being and joy. The soul would celebrate Gary’s victories, yes, but it would never hijack them to impress his friends. This is the pure, unselfish love that flows from our most profound truth: love that gives without keeping score, and celebrates without needing credit.
Can you feel the difference? It’s the difference between an unhealthy ego using someone and loving them. Between conditional and unconditional. Between “what can you do for me?” and “how can I support who you truly are?”
The soul’s path leads toward alignment with Divine Will and toward being instruments of love in this world. The ego, not in service of the soul, seeks to bend reality to match its narrative, to make life prove its story true. Yet both can want the same beautiful outcome. Sam’s ego and soul both wanted Gary to succeed. The destination looked identical; the journey couldn’t have been more different.
Sometimes, by grace or sheer spiritual growth, our ego aligns with Divine order. Its intentions serve our soul’s most profound wisdom. In those moments, we get a glimpse of what it means to be whole, when every part of us pulls in the same direction, toward the same loving purpose. These moments are gifts, showing us what is possible when we do the inner work of aligning all our intentions with the Divine.
The invitation before us is not to shame our egos or pretend they do not exist. It is to bring compassionate awareness to our true motivations. To ask ourselves, with gentleness and honesty: Why do I want what I want? Who benefits? Am I trying to prove something, or am I simply loving what is?
This is the work of a lifetime, and it is possibly the most hopeful work there is, because every time we choose soul over the unchecked ego, we choose freedom. Every time we act from love rather than need, we participate in Divine Order. Every time we catch ourselves using someone else’s life to validate our own, we have the opportunity to let go and love more purely.
Spiritual practice: Bring to mind something you sincerely want for someone you love. Now gently explore: Can you identify your ego’s voice in this desire? Can you hear your soul’s voice? Notice with compassion how they might be intertwined. What would change if only your soul’s intention remained?
Self-inquiry: What makes it challenging to examine our true intentions? What are we afraid we might discover about ourselves—and what freedom might wait on the other side of that discovery?
Prayer:
Dear God, Please grant me the courage to see myself clearly, without judgment or defense. Help me do the challenging inner work of aligning all my intentions with Your love. May I anticipate for the purest reasons. Amen
