Are Expectations Really So Great?
What are consistent walls we hit that spin us off the path of love and peace and into judgment and negativity? I find two of those to be expectations and attachment. We expect certain outcomes in our life situations, we expect certain behavior and abilities from ourselves and others. Everyone needs to measure up to some standard we’ve set, and if someone else seems to “have more” or “be more,” the ego can go crazy about this. These are triggers that cause us to turn away from loving kindness and toward fear and negativity.
Attachment is very similar and it can often be connected to possessions or people in our lives. We put such heavy importance on their presence rather than just allowing things to be as they are. We can enjoy the blessings around us, but when we become overly attached to things and people being in our lives or being a certain way, we often create pain and drama for ourselves.
So, expectations and attachments are related, and it’s interesting to look at those areas of our lives where we’re creating drama and investigate how these may be contributing to the situation.
When we feel the unhappy, unsettled or angry feelings coming up, they’re telling us something and it’s time to honor our feelings, investigate and listen to their message. Are we putting unnecessary expectations on ourselves or others? Are we too attached to our life situation being a certain way? Are judgments and attachments causing us to resist the moment and listen to our mind’s negative chatter rather than the voice of love and peace? Can we make positive changes, or do we need to work on accepting what is?
How can we best honor our feelings, learn from them, then move forward in the situation with the guidance of Universal Love? How can we move toward the highest good of all, respecting the feelings of all involved? Can we find a path forward that our wisdom tells us is truly the right direction, and can we feel at peace in the moment?
Here are some affirmations that may be helpful reminders:
I let go of clinging to expectations and feel peace and love in my heart.
I release attachments to outcome and send love, joy and creative energy into the world.
I do my best in every situation and accept what I cannot change with peace, taking the path of highest good for all. There is no need to fight against what is.