Less Expectations, More Possibilities

I was sent a quote today…  Sometimes it’s strange how something “falls in your lap” right when you need it.

Most of my writing is to remind myself of things I should be doing or feeling or maybe even changing.  In the process of me making these public I hope they help others, or make them realize they’re not the only ones feeling a certain way, or maybe bring comfort, hope or a smile to their day.  It’s also a good way for me to go back to my posts and read them whenever I need to be reminded of certain things.

The quote is about how sometimes we expect things from others and, when things don’t work out as expected, we get frustrated, angry, sad.  We might blame the other person, cut them off…  as natural as those feelings may be, we also need to look inside us.  Are we asking for too much, are we expecting that person to change?   Are we being fair?

One quote I try to remember is “Expectation is the root of all heartache”.   Unfortunately we always have them.  Either starting a new job, a new relationship, friends, family, or even what we think our life should be at certain points or age.  With friends we might expect them to always be there, to celebrate every little thing with you, to cry or laugh whenever you do.  If we don’t get the reaction we anticipated, we might feel like they don’t care or they are not real friends.  In relationships you always have hopes and wish it’s “the one”, that it lasts.  You want it to work.  When things don’t go as you thought they would those expectations start to crumble and you get frustrated, and heartbroken.  It’s hard to let go of those “dreams”, of the fairy-tale we created in our heads.  But sometimes, if we do, we might avoid the anger, sadness, misunderstandings, etc.  Maybe without all these emotions caused by those expectations we would be able to communicate better, see things differently or maybe even see things we were missing before.

Don’t get me wrong… not everyone is supposed to be in your life.  Some, as they say, are lessons and once you’ve learn them you move on and leave them behind.  And your life is a lot better without them.  But, it’s worth giving people a chance.  It’s worth seeing if they are meant to stay in your life, just maybe in another way than the one you had first expected.

Emotions can be very strong, stubborn, and prideful.  Sometimes we allow them to control us, and that’s something to work on.  It’s natural to feel them, allow yourself time, and ask others to respect that time, to figure out those feelings, to understand them and grow from them.  Time to see things differently, to find a new way to see that other person or situation, or to have a second chance to try again.  “Time heals”, this is very true, we just need to allow it to do so and open ourselves to it.

Things are not always resolved trying to change someone else or a situation.  Sometimes it takes a little bit of changing on our part too, adjusting our way of seeing things.

Instead of expectations, see possibilities.  Not an easy task but one I’m sure would help us, not only in relationships but, in many aspects of life, to be open to different and new experiences.