35) Expectation & Reward

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains the law of karma. He says, "Your duty alone is to perform your action with an awareness that you are surrendering each and every fruit of your action unto me, O Arjuna."

Expectations cause us grief. When we perform an action or an obligation and we have expectations, we are normally focusing at least half our attention on what we will get out of it. Therefore we are only focusing 50% of our attention on actually performing the action.

With that comes frustration because we are not fully in the moment, and instead half our thoughts are elsewhere. How can we enjoy what we do unless we can concentrate on it fully?

The expectation, or the desire for the fruits of our labours, mean we are at the mercy of frustrations. If we don’t manage to quite fulfil our expectations, will we be happy and content? No. Instead we get angry with ourselves. Or we blame others and get angry with them.

Alternatively, performing our actions and obligations from pure love, simple trust and with no expectations will never create any anger. It will not create anger because we weren’t expecting anything. Performing our actions because they are right, because they help, support and nurture others will not create any sorrow because we weren’t looking for anything.

If we do not look for a reward, if we have no expectations, we will never be disappointed. We will never feel hurt, angry or frustrated.

Actions performed in a pleasant, beneficial and measured way, for others, for love, for God, will bring contentment, fulfilment and happiness, because the motive is pure.