The Impact of Expectations
I am a dreamer. When I think about my life, I can envision how I want it to look and what it contains. It's like a movie playing in my head. This holds true for so many spaces in my life, from the clothes I am wearing and the car I am driving, to the way my husband and I speak to one another. I can see it all down to the itty-bitty details. I have all of these expectations for how my life should play out.
There is beauty in this mindset. I believe in the power of manifestation and visualization. I believe that what I manifest will come to fruition. It helps me to set the goals needed to achieve my dreams. What I'm learning, though, is when I am in this space, I'm also struggling with the need to feel control my expectations. That part of me wants to be able to have what I manifest come to me in the exact way I wanted it to. It's the part that has anxiety about the unknown and what ifs.
Living in this space can lead to disappointment, rage, irritation, frustration, depression, and sadness. When the movie doesn’t play out exactly as I envisioned, sometimes I start to shut down, lash out or feel anxious. I don’t know what comes next when things don't go according to the plan in my head, and that's a hard space for me to be in.
What Do I Do To Mange My Expectations?
What I have come to realize recently is that there is beauty in not knowing what comes next. There is beauty in releasing and allowing God to show you what He has been dreaming up. If we wholeheartedly believe that the universe, God, or whatever entity you believe in has us in their grips, then we can stop holding on so tight. I know that my God wants me to live out all of the dreams that I see for myself. Every single one of them. The difference is, he can see the whole picture. Meanwhile, I'm scrambling to grasp control of each of these pieces, hoping it leads me where I want to go.
Don’t get me wrong, this is hard and a constant journey. Ego gets in the way and says, “I know the right or better way”. Our ego doesn't want to give up control and allow the universe to take control. I battle with this regularly and it can be so exhausting. I think I am to the point where I want to try something new. So here is to letting go, releasing, trusting, believing and dreaming. Dreaming about the life that we want, trusting that it is coming and seeing how we are already living in it.
More content on expectations:
The Consequences of Expectations Podcast Episode
Feeling Stuck? Here is Why We Are Resistant to Change Podcast Episode