Anticipation: Its Delight May Exceed the Joy of Events

Joyously anticipating future events is marvelous. I’ve enjoyed anticipating Christmas presents, vacations, heaven after death, and numerous other things during my decades of living.

Sometimes the jubilation I experienced thinking about what was going to happen exceeded the fun of the event itself.

Joyous Anticipation Is Good for Our Health

Our joyous expectation of future bliss is good for our health. Psychology Today[1] reports that “scientific research shows” a positive future outlook “is a highly effective way to generate positive emotions and boost well-being.”

The website Six Seconds[2] states that “Research shows that looking forward to even small joys . . . can boost resilience and wellbeing.”

Yes, joyous anticipation is good for us. Maybe even the millions of persons who buy losing lottery tickets experience so much elation thinking about what they’ll do if they win, that their joy between when they buy the ticket and when they learn it isn’t a winner justifies their expense.

I confess though that I’ve never spent a penny of my own money on a lottery ticket. I feel buying them is wasteful. But each of us experiences joyous anticipation in our own way.

Personal Examples

Before taking a vacation, I often devote hours to researching the location. I read or skim tourist guides and visit various websites. I love planning a trip, visualizing it, making reservations, and even packing for it. Well, the packing often isn’t fun. But sometimes it is.

Below is a photo of some of the tourist guides I own that I’ve studied for past trips—as well as some I may use for future trips. As you can see from the photo, many of them were purchased from library sales of old guides. I've also checked out of the library more recent tourist guides. 

For various reasons, sometimes a trip doesn’t meet my joyful expectations.

Buses, planes, and trains can be delayed. A restaurant, library, or museum may actually be closed on a day when I thought it would be open. For example, I was surprised on a Chicago trip to learn their huge main public library is closed on Juneteenth for the holiday. If you lack my love of libraries and reading, you may not appreciate my disappointment at that.

Colder (or hotter) than expected weather, rain, etc., also can impact enjoyment of events.

Furthermore, some of my childhood Christmas gifts in the 1960s and 1970s did not provide me the fun that the television advertisements for them indicated they would. I remember dad and mom feeling a mixture of remorse at their expenditures, surprise, and happiness one Christmas when my sister and I had more fun playing with the large empty cardboard box that something came in than with any toys we received. Yes, those stories you read about kids enjoying empty boxes more than toys are sometimes true.

But I experienced the joy of anticipating those vacations, Christmas gifts, etc.—and the unanticipated joy of playing with an empty box.       

Actual Events Sometimes Do Exceed Expectations

However, the joy of anticipation doesn’t always exceed that exhilaration of the actual event when it comes.

For example, on my first visit to New York City, the magnificent, awe-inspiring view of the Statue of Liberty (officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World) from a ferry that I rode to Ellis Island and Liberty Island exceeded my highest expectations.

Similarly, on my first trip to Washington, DC, the Lincoln Memorial more than met my view of how awesome it would be.

Heaven and Final Thoughts

Those of us who are Christians looking forward to heaven after this life on Earth know the joy of anticipating this unbelievably marvelous place.

Only God knows how that heaven can meet or exceed our expectations. But I’m eagerly anticipating it—while not seeking to rush getting there.

Positive thinking really works. Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 bestseller book, The Power of Positive Thinking, is just one of the many resources that nicely discuss this. Folks, I strongly urge you to seek to view future events positively. Experience the joy of anticipation.      

ENDNOTES:

[1] Vilhauer, Jennice (reviewed by Abigail Fagan) ; “Finding Joy: How Positive Anticipation Boosts Your Happiness”; Psychology Today; October 25, 2024; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/202405/finding-joy-how-positive-anticipation-boosts-your-happiness webpage accessed December 28, 2025

[2] Freedman, Patty; “Anticipation Is Joy in Advance”; Six Seconds; https://www.6seconds.org/2025/09/08/anticipation-is-joy-in-advance/ webpage accessed December 28, 2025