“Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.” ..is a bittersweet notion but a wise old adage just the same. Often, our heart’s desire(s) seem so close yet far way. We'll daydream, cross our fingers, work, pray, plot, and plan ways to carry out hopes and desires into our lives; others nearly to point of obsession. Whether it drives you mad or gently tugs at you in the wee hours of a restless night; our desires mean a lot to us for they thrive on the very hopes & dreams deemed worthy enough to cling to for dear life. No matter how big or small, rational or idiosyncratic. At last… (echoing Etta James) it happened; pay dirt after haunting the local corner store every night for the past four years. At last your numbers cosmically lined up and won you the coveted million-dollar jackpot! Or maybe you were approved for that sexy, shamelessly horse-powered, boasting all the latest bells & whistles, enough to make your boss blush, dream car. Perhaps it is priceless- like a parents approval, stumbling upon true love after canning the idea, or two lines emerging on a stick after years of infertility issues. In any event, it is like a fantasy-come-true as we stand amazed, shocked or even stupefied.
So, now that we’ve had our emotional high here comes the low-down. After the novelty has worn off we wonder how to handle the upshot...
“Yeah man, don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t change hitting the lotto but some of my family and friends are asking or downright expecting a financial bailout. I don’t mind helping but not to the tune of x-thousands of dollars!”
"Our baby is a welcome surprise but talk about bad timing. Admittedly, our enthusiasm had waned over the years due to the stress. We started to believe we were fighting a losing battle and atop it all my husband was just laid off. That took a chunk out of our joint income so we recently stopped “trying to get pregnant”; at least until things turned around. Now, I’m pregnant and we’re barely making the mortgage.”
OK. I think you get the picture. We're not always ready for life's idiosyncrasies but we can certainly learn and adapt. While, facing down monster truck decisions is unnerving it comes with an opportunity to re-access. As reality sets in we ar ponder what really matters in the big scheme of things. Again, healthy hopes can give way to unhealthy delusions of grandeur. Which by the way are fun to entertain but may alter our sense of reality if not duly checked. Of course, not everyone succumbs to tunnel vision and unrealistic expectations. Yet, our desires can inadvertently take a life of its own -- before you know it you’re all wrapped up in the idea itself. Just, beware of giving your desires too much credit (e.g. It will solve all my problems) and try not to lose sight of the real reason(s) why you wanted this or that in the first place.
