..and if you can learn to appreciate where you are right now and all the assets that you've been given, you get a spring in your step. It's less likely that you'll be overcome by this high expectation you have on yourself, or you think other people have on you.

I personally like to make expectations in any of the saṅgas I'm working with, any of the teams, any of the projects, that are more natural. For instance, as you know well, in one of the teams you're on, I say the purpose for this team is for association and service. Do I not say that regularly? And how do you feel when you find out that's what it's about? It's just an opportunity, an excuse if you like, to have more association and more service. I find it helpful.

As far as book distribution goes, I'm just giving this as an example. Devotees think, "I don't want to go out." Well, if I analyze why they don't want to go out, it's because they think they have to perform some magic, and "What's everybody going to think of me if I don't perform magic?" So we just say, "Don't worry about it. Don't even go out to distribute books. Just go out because it's fun to go out with others, or it's a nice feeling, exhilarating feeling to walk out into the great unknown. Don't put any expectation on yourself—just go out there and stand around and see how it feels to be out there." And I find that mostly then devotees say, "Really? That's not true. We do have to do a circus trick, right?" Like, "No, I'm not going to. I'm just going out. I don't even know what's going to happen. I'm just here. I just feel lucky to be part of this." And then when everyone goes out in that spirit with no expectation, then they overperform and feel fine.

I think we can help ourselves by redefining what our expectation is every day. And if you have a coach, a significant other, or you have association with devotees that are confidential, you could say, "I need some encouragement. How am I looking? How am I doing?" And they can say, "You? You're fantastic." It's helpful for somebody to remind us of what we've done and how we're doing. So it's a common experience, and Kṛṣṇa warns us not to become overwhelmed by it in the verse : SB 11.20.27-28

jāta-śraddho mat-kathāsu

nirviṇṇaḥ sarva-karmasu

veda duḥkhātmakān kāmān

parityāge ’py anīśvaraḥ

tato bhajeta māṁ prītaḥ

śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ

juṣamāṇaś ca tān kāmān

duḥkhodarkāṁś ca garhayan

There He recognizes there's this stage in which most people are in. Because they've started devotional service, it seems really exciting, and then they say, "Oh, I have to swim across the ocean of anartha-nivṛtti," and that swimming across an ocean takes a while. And then He says, "But don't worry, just keep swimming. Even if you don't have the power to do what you think you should be doing, keep swimming."

https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/11/20/27-28/

Link to the entire lecture: https://youtu.be/d8BSS3TA4mQ

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To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/

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Add to your wisdom literature collection:

https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ (USA only)

https://thefourquestionsbook.com/

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