Usually I try to keep myself from getting too excited about upcoming events, products, releases, etc ... I strongly prefer feeling things are better than anticipated instead of feeling disappointed.
Tonight I did a poor job. I got too excited for the blood moon and total lunar eclipse. In hindsight, I knew pretty much what it was going to look like ahead of time, but for whatever reason, I was expecting to feel shivers down my spine like I do after seeing an inspiring performance. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed. Had I had lower expectations I may have finished my walk feeling more inspired by the natural beauty of this rare occurrence or the generosity of strangers to let me look at the moon through their telescopes.
This is a good reminder that expectations greatly influence how we experience things.