Your Expectations Are a Little Much

 

I am one of those girls that will be in the middle of the greatest story being told when I suddenly stop and yell, "squirrel."

I am set in my ways.  I want things done my way.  I lack patience.  I like to always be on the go.  I'm not one to just sit in the quietness and relax.  I honestly can't even fathom relaxing in the stillness because I am too much of a busy body.  The only way for me to relax is to escape to the great outdoors.  

I am SO very glad that there isn't another me in this world.  We would clash.   So, with that being said, I don't know why it surprises me that others don't act like me.  They do things differently.   

My expectations of others are set pretty high.  I expect my son to be perfect even though I know that is impossible.  He's taught me a lot over the years to lower my expectations just a tad so he doesn't feel like a failure.  I don't like to set such high expectations of others but it's just the way I am.  And it's also why I get so frustrated in life.  Because I expect others to do like I do.  Talk like I talk.  Walk like I walk.  

I expect everyone to want to go to the places I want to go.  Do the things I want to do... when I want to do them.  And when life doesn't go like I want it to go... I get frustrated. 

Expectation feeds frustration.  It is an unhealthy attachment to people, things, and outcomes we wish we could control; but don't.  Dr. Steve Maraboli 

We see certain situations unfolding a certain way.  We wish we could control outcomes.  We wish others could be controlled at times.  It's when we lack control that our life seems to fall apart at the seams.  Frustration sets in.

That's when we may act out in anger.  We may say things that should never be said.  We say anything and everything because our expectations were not met.  What we expected didn't happen like we had planned for... hoped for... or prayed for.  And with our frustration comes great heartache and much disappointment.

You may not drink your coffee like I do.
You may prefer a sunrise over a sunset.
You may be the type of person that can just suck it up and deal with it.
You may be someone that wears their feelings.
You may be someone that can mentally handle all that life throws your way.
You may can function on a few hours of sleep.
You may be able to eat anything and everything and not gain one single pound.
You may be able to forgive easier than others.
You may be a lot of things... and that's doesn't make you any less of a person because you are different.

We need to stop expecting everyone to act like we do.  To feel like we do. 

When our expectations aren't necessarily lowered but viewed differently... then maybe we will experience less heartache and disappointment.

When you release expectations, you are free to enjoy things for what they are instead of what you think they should be.  Mandy Hale