Dealing With Expectations

How do you know if you have trouble dealing with expectations? Well…

Ever have thoughts like “I have to be this, “I should be that,” “I must do this or that?”

Or perhaps you perceive external pressure from others believing that they think you should, have to or must?

Or maybe you say that of others… he or she should, has to or must…

Yeah, we all have had these thoughts at points in our lives. These are expectations – expectations that we put on ourselves, we perceive that others place upon us or that we place upon others.

We can have expectations when it comes to ourselves and others, and we can have expectations when it comes to the situations that we find ourselves in.

Have you found yourself wishing that your current situation was different than what it is?

How often have you wanted a relationship to be something that it is not?

How often have you wished you were something that you are not? Or that someone in your life was different than what they are?

How do you feel when you believe those thoughts? When you believe and apply these expectations?

You feel bad, right? At the very least, not good. Perhaps you feel less than, no good, that you didn’t live up to the expectations. Often the primary emotion is disappointment – disappointment that you didn’t live up to your own expectations or others’ expectations or that other people didn’t live up to your expectations or that your life situation isn’t living up to your expectations.

Ultimately, all expectations end in disappointment or heartbreak.

So, how can we deal with expectations – expectations of ourselves, from others, that we hold others to and of our life situations – so that we no longer feel disappointment as a result?

You can download the transcript of this episode by clicking here.