Utopia, Expectations and Avocado Sandwiches
There is this place called “Arome” ("Flavors", in English) that I really love. It opened just a few months ago but I already consider myself a regular. They have incredibly good food and a very nice atmosphere. Cosy, small and fresh. They even have this long table, at which you are “forced” to seat near perfect strangers. You really get to meet people. And talk to them.
After trying a few of their vegan sandwiches, I got hooked on the avocado one. It’s got this combination of crusty baguette and red pesto (with dried tomatoes) plus the smoothness of avocado, which unfolds like a continuous gentle explosion of taste in your mouth. I don’t think I ate anything else from them in the last 3-4 months. I just love it. And every time I get there that sandwich tastes absolutely the same: delicious. Every time. Each and every time.
Until one day.
I had to meet someone there, and I got to the place 15 minutes earlier. I thought I’ll have the time for a quick bite so I ordered my regular avocado sandwich. I quickly noticed that Alina, the chef who’s usually making all the sandwiches, wasn’t there that day, but I didn’t give it too much of a thought.
And then the sandwich came. I took a bite and freeze for a second. The combination was the same: avocado, red pesto, baguette. But the taste wasn’t. All the tastes were there, but the main taste wasn’t. The new chef simply couldn’t arrange the ingredients in such a way that will create the same experience. It was strange to identify all the tastes, but the resulting one, the combination, wasn’t there anymore.
Expectations
It goes like this in each and every area of our lives. Just because we have all the ingredients, we assume that the end result will always be the same. We create these expectations that things will always be like we expect them to be and then, when reality hits, we freeze. I’m exaggerating a bit. But not much.
Most of the time we’re not even realizing we’re having these expectations and we don’t freeze. At least not consciously. But we are somehow baffled and there is this constant feeling of being out of sync. Of being on a different frequency.
We’re not. There is this only one frequency that we live on, it’s just that we expect the frequency to have a certain wavelength and we don’t know what to do when it doesn’t. But we don’t control the frequency, the vibration. We control only our reaction to it.
Utopia
There is this mythical place where you can write and you will get paid for it. Finally, your efforts will be properly rewarded. This place is called Steemit and many people came back from there happy, smiling and with their digital wallets swollen with STEEM.
So you, the young aspiring writer, or the veteran blogger, or the regular Joe, head over and start writing. And then write some more. And then you go high quality on them.
And sometimes you get paid, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you get the same avocado sandwich, sometimes you don’t. And when you don’t get paid, you are baffled. You feel out of sync and, once more, cheated. You expected to be paid, but you didn’t. You had all the ingredients lined out, but the taste wasn’t the same.
And the utopia goes down in flames. There is no mythical place where your value will be recognized. There is no proper reward. There are no unicorns.
Yeah. I know.
Because, lured by this potential of a new platform, you forgot that at the end of the payment process, of any process, there’s another person. You get paid if that person agrees with what you provide.
It’s not that you enter in a room and just because you entered in that room the room will pay you. It’s not like once you are on Steemit you will get paid no matter what. There has to be someone at the end of the transaction. Right now there are the whales. Because it’s so early and all the value is in the hands of the early-early-early adopters. In time, it will equalize, but there will still be people deciding if they want to pay you or not.
There is only one mythical place that really exists, and where all the money in the world is stored. It’s called “other people pockets”. That’s from where all the money comes.
Steemit is just another mechanism, a much simpler one, but the process is the same. You get money from people, not “faucets”, or "platforms".
With that being said, I’m heading to Arome where I have another meeting in a couple of hours.
I wonder how their avocado sandwich will taste today.
image source - Pixabay
I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at Dragos Roua where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua.
https://steemit.com/~witnesses
The avocado sandwich will taste like avocado.
Which is to say it won't taste like bacon.
So it's not really a sandwich as such, more like an imitation of a sandwich, unless it is a bacon and avocado sandwich, in which case it is a bacon sandwich with unwanted mush in it.
I don't like avocado, can you tell? hehe
The trick is to manage your expectations. Don't expect things to be the way you want, just because that's the way you want them. Expect to work hard to get what you want. Expect to not get it even after all your hard work.
And then, when you do get the rewards, it's a nice surprise, and you feel 10 times better about it.
I can see the changes happening here already. Early on, I usually got nothing for my posts. Then occasionally a dollar here or there.
Now, most of my posts earn something, not huge amounts, but consistently earning something.
You get that by hard work, sticking to it, and participating in the platform.
I'm not rich yet, but I'm not as poor as was when I first joined either. So in anyone's book, that has to be progress.
And as long as there is progress, I'm happy to keep my head down and keep writing good content that gives someone a giggle now and then.
I noticed you get more consistency, both in your writing and in your rewards. It's great to witness this evolution. Keep it up! You can keep writing good content and be humble without keeping your head down, by the way. I guess it was just an image. :)
@trevor.george, just because it doesn't have bacon that doesn't mean is not a sandwich! I don't know who told you that sandwich must have bacon, but I'm sure that this sandwich made by Dragos is at least 10 times tastier and 100 times healthier than your bacon sandwich!
hehe I know. I was just kidding.
Sorry man, I thought that you were for real! My bad.
No worries. You'll see from most of my writing, that I tend to try and inject a bit of humor into it.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
For the record, I prefer a banana sandwich, but if a bacon sandwich is going, I'll have one and not complain too much.
Cool, I will follow you. I had that feeling you might kidding, but I wasn't sure so that's why I reacted like that. Now, that I read his comment and I see how kindly replied to your comment I'm sure you were kidding. I think that you and Dragos might be friends! :D
It is indeed important to tune our expectations accordingly, in order to avoid frustration and pain. Very well said, and I also support the comment of @trevor.george below :)
Your avocado sandwich tasted pretty good to me today... Very nice analogy! ;) 😄😇😄
Thanks! :)
I like this sandwich a lot! Very good one Dragos!
Thanks! You've been to Arome?
No, I wasn't to Arome. But, I can make my own at home! :d
Got it. If you ever pass by Arome, do try their own. Thank me later. ;)
Ok, if I will pass by Arome I definitely try it! Cheers!
Good morning.
I see that you are ready for William Glasser and his Reality Therapy :)
Yes, life is a difference between expectations and reality. The trick is how you manage this difference. Trevor put it well, too.
"It goes like this in each and every area of our lives. Just because we have all the ingredients, we assume that the end result will always be the same".
You are so right and showing that Prosciutto@2:21am my time is cruel. My father made the best.
looks GOOD!!!!
The sandwich? Yes, it does :)
very nice...looks good up and resteemed***