It’s funny. In life, they say expect the unexpected. I don’t know about you, but I rather like predictability. Well, most of the time. Don’t get me wrong. There are so many moments where I love surprises…….but those rarely occur in my life. Honestly, now that I’m typing those words, I realize they aren’t actually true. If I look back, there are so many unexpected moments. In fact, aren’t we really all living with the unknown ahead? We could truly become so wound tight with anxiety over the fact that we have zero control over the future. I mean, we certainly are able to influence the future through consistency, faith and realizing every action has a reaction. We don’t have control over anyone but ourselves and our reactions. We control our own thoughts and behaviors. Seems so simple, and it’s something I say to my students daily, yet somehow it is not so easy to keep in perspective. Our past informs our future. I think that’s true……sort of. I choose to believe that the past is quite simply a reminder of choices and actions that created our perceived experiences. Some were amazingly wonderful and some heartbreakingly terrible. Whichever we remember, they all were consequences of our own actions. Because of this, I believe it’s a healthy thing to confidently look to the future knowing that we are likely wiser than we were five years ago. Some people don’t learn from their past and they repeat destructive patterns. To expect perfection is to undoubtably receive failure. The hope of a future will seem absolutely unattainable if we place the conditions of perfection within the parameters of the future. I actually appreciate a bit of healthy discomfort. Without discomfort, there’s little opportunity for growth and depth. I prefer to view my life as a fortunate set of circumstances that have afforded me a second chance to experience the extraordinary through the ordinary. I know that I am never alone, even during the moments in which I may sometimes experience isolation. I know that I am loved, even when I feel uncertain about it. So I pray, rely on faith, experience and a whole lot of optimism, that the unexpected future will most certainly include uncertainty. Yet, I know I’m ready because what I know to be true is my resolve to live without fear and trust in the future before me!