Expectations make you fat, old, and tired; getting rid of expectations makes you happy, fulfilled, and loving. Choosing to believe someone owes you something, or should do something for you will lead to modest satisfaction when done, a hyper-critical eye, and regular disappointment when it’s not done.
The do-gooder will never live up to potential, and you’ll constantly find yourself frustrated, angry, resentful, or dismissive.
Yet, I allow myself to feel ‘frustration from expectation’ at times, and it never seems like the right call in hindsight.
Knowing that patience is an ongoing lesson for me right now, I simply follow these steps to I feel frustrated, let down, or disrespected:
- Identify I had an expectation that led to how I feel.
- Remind myself that I’m learning patience.
- Think of a way to get the result I want without having an expectation (likely, doing it myself)
- Accept that doing it myself or getting it done another way preserves health, relationships, and love.
- Choose the path that preserves health, relationships, and love.
Today’s lesson:
Next time you find yourself frustrated with someone, consider whether or not you had an expectation and how it’s serving you. Try this exercise and see how you feel. I suspect you’ll find you’re enjoying yourself a lot more.
I’m so grateful for you,
Kareem
Originally published at drkareem.com on February 20, 2017.
Originally published at medium.com