The reward of anticipation

The clouds are backlit. A thick curtain on the horizon hides the sunrise—a faint pale peach hue over a newly budded tree. The sun reminds me it’s there. The pale blue sky expands above the cloud curtain with a smattering of white puffs reaching for stray sunrays, framing them in gold.

It’s a prelude for the coming attraction. You know it’s coming, as each moment reveals more. It reminds me of Ed Harris’s line from THE TRUMAN SHOW:

“Cue the sun!”

It got me thinking about anticipation and what an active state of mind and body it is.

“Anticipation… is making me wait. It’s keeping me waaaaiiiiting…” Of course, I can’t help but think of the brilliant creative in the old Heinz ketchup commercial.

---

This week's word: Anticipation

Sometimes, the anticipation is more enlivening than the actual thing.

Anticipation is both the excitement and fear of the unknown.

Anticipation. What an eager word.

It's a noun meaning "the act of looking forward, especially: pleasurable expectation.” Or, “a prior action that considers or forestalls a later action.” Or, “visualization of a future event or state.” It “implies a prospect or outlook that involves advance suffering or enjoyment of what is foreseen.”

Contemplation. Expectance. Expectancy. Expectation. Prospect.

“Our mere anticipations of life outrun its realities.” Aesop

“Anticipation is the greater part of pleasure.”— Angela Carter

On one hand, anticipation is a state that can feel familiar and safe.

I mean, if you stay in the exciting anticipatory place, then you stay just out of reach of disappointment, or failure, or rejection.

But it also keeps you just out of reach of completion, or success, or expansion, or massive visibility.

Anticipation can be a close partner of procrastination. Good to know.

As the sun took center stage, it hit me. The gift of anticipation is the reward.

The reward you work for, wait for—sometimes patiently, sometimes not—the butterfly-inducing wait.

But to see it through, to recognize anticipation as a prelude, coming attraction to… just the next step, to showing up, to accepting the date, to booking the trip, the session, the class. To typing “the end” and hitting publish. To stepping on the scale. To pin the spot on the map and hit go.

The reward is the ahhhh, the endorphin and dopamine release.

“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” Alfred Hitchcock

Anticipation is the precursor—

To receiving

To beholding

To embracing

To creating

To going

To doing

To being

Anticipation is a precursor to the explosive moment of joy.

For me, that morning, the reward was the moment the sun appeared in its full glory.

Totally worth the anticipation.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.

---

Journal Prompt

Prompt: Write about a time when anticipation filled you up. Describe it through all of your senses. Then, what happened?

---

Being in the pause

I had a lovely and creative discussion with the wonderful Elysia Skye on her The Brilliance Method podcast!

Here's the episode description:

In this creative conversation, Elysia Skye and Cindy Yantis explore creativity's transformative power, highlighting its role in personal growth, healing, and rebirth. Using the symbolism of the comma as the pause, and the metaphor of the phoenix rising, they discuss embracing grace and ease through life's transitions.

Cindy shares how journaling and devotion deepen creative expression and self-discovery. They celebrate playful creativity, the art of listening, and the impactful resonance of words. Tune in for insights on upcoming events and inspiration to pursue dreams authentically.

Listen wherever you receive your podcasts

Or watch on YouTube.

---

A retreat for your divine soul - Join us!

"Divine Life: 5 Keys to Living & Loving Yours"

Dates: May 3rd & May 4th

Where: Our Zen Zoom Room – Join from anywhere

Time: 8:30 AM PT / 10:30 AM CT / 11:30 AM ET on Saturday and Sunday (2 hours/day)

If you’ve been overwhelmed and undernourished in your spirit and are ready to consistently uplevel your body, mind, and soul frequency, then this retreat is for you.

Inside this retreat, you’ll receive:

• The keys to shift from default mode to magnificence mode

• Insights into what it is to live from the divine

• Tools on how to have an open dialogue with your divine self to create meaning

• A deeper understanding of how to listen to your mind and body

Integrating the five keys will make you more aligned and connected to your divine, aligned self, enabling you to live your best life.

If you are ready to experience a deeper connection to yourself and to experience life from a place of simplicity and truth, this retreat is for you.

---

I hope you have a great week filled with delicious anticipation. And kindness.

Keep creating, abundantly,

​