I’d been looking forward to today: the end of the school holidays, meaning that the estate would be calm and peaceful – at least until mid-afternoon when, once again, it would become a playground.

And so it was: the sense of relief palpable. Working from home again became effective and enjoyable . . . except. . .

Except that, at that moment of bliss, the workers renovating the flats nearby, started up their power tools. The work-site that had, for most of the summer, been comparatively quiet, became far from it.

I felt cheated.

I went into town to walk off my frustrations. Once back home I found that I could concentrate and work OK. Behind closed windows the workmen’s noise was not actually an issue.

What had been an issue was my expectations. I had been anticipating, wanting, my P&Q (peace and quiet). Those ego desires over-rode the sensed reality . . . as they so often do.

What a powerful lesson in the on-going need to evolve beyond expectations: to consciously evolve to be wholly present in each moment, accepting each and every aspect of that here and now . . . as it actually is . . .