Such a simple question...
what do you EXPECT?
Such a consequential question...
what DO YOU expect?
from LIFE...
from YOURSELF...
from your partner...
from those who love you...
from those who work with you...
Disharmony happens by definition from UNMET expectations...
which lead you to WISH that they were met.
Think about it...
When you feel anxiety, angst, stress, unhappiness, anger... doesn't it come from UNMET expectations?
You wish your spouse had been more considerate...
You wish the referee had seen that double dribble...
You wish your son had worked harder than he did...
You wish you had made a different decision, taken more risk, known sooner, been smarter...
What do you EXPECT?
from yourself?
Do you expect not to make mistakes?
Do you expect to know better?
Do you expect to be perfect?
from your children...
Do you expect them to behave more responsibly than many adults you know?
Better than you did at their age?
Better than they do?
Better than they can?
from your employer...
Do you expect them to know what you need, even if you've never told them?
Do you expect them to pay you more than they do?
Be more considerate? Be smarter? Be more gracious?
What do you EXPECT?
And, WHY do you expect that...?
Have you thought about that...?
Why do we expect not to have to suffer? Not to know sadness? Not to know pain?
Why do we expect to have the answers?
To be better than we are?
Disharmony comes from unmet expectations...
We most often try to address our disharmony with the expectations as the GIVEN...
TRUST ME... I get it... I EXPECT STRENGTH... INDEPENDENCE... GREATNESS... MEANING... PURPOSE... INSPIRATION... JOY...
from myself...
And, the reason... the WHY... is because
I am ambitious... and I DESIRE it... or because
I believe I am CAPABLE of it...
I believe MY EXPECTING it is the first step to making "achieving it"... possible...
But... MAYBE I AM WRONG...
When you EXPECT it... then every moment that you are not achieving it creates disharmony... "wishing you were delivering it... living it..."
MAYBE it's a lot less important to EXPECT accomplishment, success, progress...
MAYBE we should be much more focused on
INSPIRATION rather than EXPECTATION...
WHAT DO YOU INSPIRE?
in yourself? in those you love? in those you work with?
after all... inspiration enables the belief in better...
Should I EXPECT strength from myself in all moments,
or should I INSPIRE strength from myself in all moments?
Should I EXPECT graciousness and respect from those I work with,
or should I INSPIRE those things in them?
EXPECTATION defines a behavior, a "line" out in space or in time, that we will fail to realize until its realized...
INSPIRATION defines the fire, the motivation, the energy to move ourselves forward... upward...
EXPECTATIONS set goals outside of ourselves...
INSPIRATION lights the fire within ourselves...
The question I should be asking myself is not...
WHAT DO I EXPECT, but rather... WHAT DO I INSPIRE?
And, ironically... if I focus my efforts there...
I will experience JOY so much more often...
I will overcome PAIN so much more quickly...
I will find MEANING so much more readily...
"Wisdom is a love affair with questions... the questions alone will be your guide." Julio Olalla
Be thoughtful and careful with what questions you ask yourself...
What do you EXPECT?
or,
What do you INSPIRE?
or maybe even better yet...
What inspires YOU?
To the extent to which I make my life, my ambition, my focus about
INSPIRATION
and not
EXPECTATION
is the extent to which I find joy, meaning and
harmony
in
it!
Nestor
P.S. Was INSPIRATION what you expected? ;-)