It’s been said that if you never want to be disappointed, rid yourself of all expectations. Some live their lives lowering the bar as a result of having lived through one…more…painful…realization after another.
We settle. Muting the music in our hearts, allowing our dreams to fade. But for what?
As we get older (and…wiser?), our spirits seem to level. The weight of Life pulls us down, and, as if overnight, we find ourselves knee deep in responsibilities. Our laughter becomes a distant memory, and those moments of pure delight hover within the walls of our daily struggles. We self-medicate, buying the lie that life really isn’t that hard.
Or maybe it’s just me.
Along my journey to self-discovery, I seem to keep needing to learn the same lessons. I continue to make poor choices and, therefore, continue to be let down. A revolving door at Hotel Told You So. It’s a slow and painful process and some days I just want to fall back on what I know.
But what if all we know is disappointment? Then it’s time to change the channel.
Having zero expectations may ensure we never get let down, but is this how we want to live our lives – expecting nothing – when there’s so much we deserve? Perhaps it’s not a matter of expecting, but rather believing we are worth much more than what we’ve settled for.
So what about you? Have you lowered your expectations to accommodate disappointment, or have you raised the bar with your choices? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Christine Macdonald 
Over the years, I learned to lower the bar to protect my feelings. However, I've recently instituted a "no bullshit" policy and have a very lengthy questionaire for those who ask to toy with my emotions.
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I love it! "No Bullshit policy". I'm using that!
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Christie Mac how are your feeling today?If you were in 'the big O' and I ran into you, that is how I would greet you..!Experience edits and tempers my expectations… but only according to the seasons of my life… I still shoot for maximizing the opportunity that I have … no longer do I want to be POTUS but I could be Mayor of Omaha… you never know, so you have to watch..!The thing about people who say exactly what their policy is, usually are the ones who are transgressors of that very policy… jus' sayin'…
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I'm feeling much better after writing this post, Big Mark, thanks for asking! Interesting take on transgressors of policy. We're all just aiming to be the best people to ourselves, I think. Part of honoring our hearts is to set boundaries, so I applaud anyone who defines them. That said, life is not a straight line and we do the best we can every day. Thanks for taking the time to comment and read. 🙂
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Popped in from SITS! My problem is my imagination makes things grander than they are.
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With some things I lower the bar, but with others I reach for the stars. Does that make any sense?
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I'd say I vascillate back and forth. I try to avoid expectations but maintain boundaries. I don't want to control others, but I decide how I will be treated.In theory, anyway.Try and try again.
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Somewhere I learned the difference between expectations and goals. It really helps put things in perspective… and to keep them into perpetual motion (reach one goal, set another).
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