We spend most of our lives in Plan B; life is full of surprises, good and bad. As the saying goes, life turns out best for those who make the best of how life turns out. But what if, at least some of the time, we are wearing a blindfold? A blindfold we may not even be aware of?

We all have a worldview including a set of expectations about how life should be, about how people should act, about what love is, about virtually everything. And when these expectations are not met, we have some processing to do! We can relax, shrug our shoulders and accept, we can try to change things or we can go looking for situations and people that more closely align with our expectations…Or we can sit in the lobster pot and become upset and frustrated.

All too often some version of the latter choice occurs and it often does so because we are not fully self-aware of what we are doing to ourselves, in part because our expectations are so automatic, so much a part of ourselves we are not even aware that other choices exist (fish discover water last). Expectations go unfulfilled because they are unreasonable or too numerous or unstated or unacknowledged. Often, we unconsciously engage in magical thinking, grossly underestimating the work, effort, and communication skills (with others and with ourselves) required to fully know, understand, and fulfill our expectations and desires.

When we pause and reflect, journal and meditate, take the time to truly get to know ourselves, unfulfilled expectations can become clues, directional signs allowing us to understand ourselves at ever-deeper levels.

Closing Quotes:

“The #1 cause of unfulfilled potential is never deciding that NOW matters more than any other time in your life. The #2 cause of mediocrity and unfulfilled potential is not dedicating time each day to learning, growing, and developing into who you need to be to create the life you want.” – Hal Elrod

“Expectations can be a blessing or curse for you, depending upon the way you deal with them.” – Anurag Prakash Ray

“Hope survives in the heart of those who not only expect but who works towards those expectations.” – Hermann J Steinherr 

“The quality of our expectations determines the quality of our actions.” – Malika E Nura

As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier