Expect Less, Communicate More

I have found that if you don’t have expectations of others, you won’t be disappointed.  

When in a friendship with a friend, it is easy to expect them, especially when you have been with them for a reasonable amount of time, to know your feelings and some of the things that are important to you.  Such expectations without you verbally stating your wishes can often lead to great disappointment.  I have found that when you are in a relationship and don’t have many expectations of that person, you are less likely to be hurt when your expectations are not met.  

Some good quotes expressing this philosophy are as follows:

• “If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.” ― Sylvia Plath.
• “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” ― Alexander Pope.
• “When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.” ― Donald Miller.
• “I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.” ― Bruce Lee.
• In my world, I have found that expecting husbands to know that you need help with daily chores is an expectation failure for sure.  This expectation needed to be expressed verbally, or it would be a great disappointment that this was not just understood.  (Conversation is a wonderful thing.  When expecting that friends should know your taste and act accordingly can be a great disappointment if not shared at least l00 times!!  

Then, there is the expectation of oneself. If you set your expectations of yourself too high, there is certainly room for upset and disappointment. You need to make your expectations feasible and obtainable. Then, acting on your expectations can be accomplished positively.

This is a work in progress for me.  I always think I can do more than I actually do.  Being sidetracked tends to get in the way of being practical and achieving proper goals.

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