"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise"

Alice Walker’s words, “Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise,” invite a profound shift in how life is approached. Rather than constantly anticipating outcomes or placing rigid hopes on the future, there’s an encouragement to release expectations altogether. Letting go of preset desires or fixed assumptions dismantles the anxiety and disappointment that so often arrive when things don’t unfold as imagined. This doesn’t advocate apathy or disengagement but rather an open-minded participation in the unpredictability of life.

Living “frugally on surprise” suggests adopting an attitude of mindful simplicity. Frugality, typically tied to the use of resources, here becomes a metaphor for a disciplined, careful approach to one’s emotional and mental spaces. Instead of demanding wonders or orchestrating elaborate scenarios for happiness, there’s a thrifty acceptance of whatever moments or miracles arise naturally. The surprises that aren’t clamored for or calculated, those left unbidden, take on a unique richness. Here, delight is not manufactured, but discovered, often in the smallest or least expected places.

Surprise, in this context, becomes sustenance. When nothing is expected, even modest happiness feels abundant. The laughter of a friend, the sudden opening of a flower, an unforeseen opportunity, or the kindness of a stranger, all these are gifts to be savored. There is liberation in not staking contentment on specific outcomes. A lightness grows, as life becomes less about controlling or possessing, and more about witnessing and appreciating.

Embarking on life without the burdens of expectation opens a spaciousness where experiences are valued for their spontaneity and authenticity. Embracing this approach does not preclude ambition or effort, but frees one from the tyranny of disappointment. Surprise then transforms from something accidental to something precious, an everyday nourishment for the spirit, attained with an unencumbered heart.