I’ve had several conversations this week with men and women about expectations. In every one of my conversations, I heard the same thing. “It’s so hard not to have them.”
Every time we have an expectation of a person, a situation, whether it’s in business or in our personal life – when we don’t get what we want – disappointment can rear its ugly head. The source of the problem is not the expectation itself. It’s that we get a picture in our minds and fantasize and future trip about the ideal outcome and get attached to it. It’s the attachment to what we want that makes us struggle, not the expectation itself.
There is a bright side to disappointment. It shows us what we want, it shows us what we crave. It shows us we have passion for something. It shows us we care – deeply. It shows us we are on the right path towards getting what we want.
If your business deal goes belly up, there will be another one
If you don’t get the promotion, you will in the future
If your relationship has a rough patch, it will sort out
If the investor doesn’t resonate with your pitch, another one will
If the person you’re seeing doesn’t pan out, another one is around the corner
Expect success in every aspect of your life. Expect to fulfill your goals. Expect to have the relationship you want. Expect to create an extraordinary life. The caveat, of course, is: work hard to make whatever you want happen, happen and stay the course.
Let go of the life you created in your mind. Open up to the life that’s right in front of you.