Expectation is a powerful belief, or set of beliefs, about what we expect life to look like. It’s worthy of consideration, because it can lead to both ‘what’s next’ and judgemental thoughts when expectations don’t match reality. As a form of perception, there are two types:
● What we believe/think/hope/expect to happen in the future
● What we expect from others/what we and others expect from ourselves
Both types can impact our wellbeing.
Exploring expectation is important because we don’t always get what we want in life. Dreams are dashed and expectations unmet. This truth impacts how we think, feel and show up in our daily lives, creating disappointment, disharmony and discombobulation.
If high expectations create disappointment, shouldn’t we just lower our expectations and be happy when things turn out better than expected? Not necessarily. Expecting less doesn’t mean you’ll feel less disappointment if your expectations aren’t met. Hope and optimism are useful
