At a recent event, I had two interesting and contrasting conversations.

It’s interesting to note, that both were at the same event looking to enjoy themselves, and did in their very own way.

Looking back at the event, one person explained that no event could be perfect. Which meant that he was searching for a way to deal with the list of problems he had noticed. He had come to the event with an expectation that the evening could be perfect and resented to have a different experience.

The other person shared how her son had, for the first time, told her and her husband that he was happy that they would have a nice evening together. This also meant that they had set some clear intentions for themselves, knowing what to expect, how long they would stay, and what they wanted from the evening.

While this may lead to the idea that expectations lead to negativity and intentions toward satisfaction, it’s not what I’m trying to say.

What intentions can help us do, is gain clarity on what it is we want to achieve or contribute. It is a way to focus on what we control, but it still requires connecting with expectations that can be fulfilled. Focusing on expectations can easily make us subject to things that are beyond our control and without determining our intentions our impact will only be what others let it be.