"Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig."

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180)

I've been having a literary love affair with New York Times best selling author—Lisa Scottoline—whose novels are set in Philadelphia and feature the all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates. Her legal thrillers add humor and a sense of humanness to the legal system. USA Today acclaims her writing as "sharp, intelligent, funny, and hip." Most importantly to me, she's truly a writer! She creates not only a compelling story, she also writes in such a way that gives me pause. I read sentences over and over again, because it creates a kinesthetic experience I don't want to miss or gloss over.

After five or six of Lisa's books, I recently picked up Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. This book was first released in April 2003, so it's been around a while, and I've certainly heard various accolades about the brilliance and intrigue of it. So I launched into it with great anticipation of enjoying yet another great read. Bam! Right off the bat, I found myself criticizing this, that, or the other about Brown's style. "How am I not totally mesmerized by this book?" I asked myself. From everything I heard, the content of this novel was right up my alley, especially the promised reflection that this book evokes—almost demands—of readers. I allowed my "lack of enthusiasm" to stay present, and chose to reflect on that.

It was in this reflection that I recognized—around page 100—that I was expecting Brown to talk to me like Scottoline did. Big 'aha' that created the shift necessary for me to truly be present to Brown's style and appreciate it for what it was rather than stuck in what it was not. Now I'm thoroughly enjoying The Da Vinci Code, a gift in and of itself. In addition, I get to re-learn the lessons around expectation and attachment to the outcome.

What's beautiful about this is the reminder that sometimes our expectations hide from us; they're not wholly evident from the get-go. And when we take the time to identify our expectations, we get the richness of what is available in all its magnificence.