Expectations
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Expectations set us up for disappointment.
I expected him home at 5PM so when work held him up until close to 7PM I was disappointed and angry.
I expected the mess to be cleaned up so when I had to do it myself I was frustrated.
I expected that the baby would sleep all afternoon and then I could get a nap; when she didn't I was disappointed and grumpy.
I expected that the cheque would arrive today. It didn't. I was disappointed.
So, does that mean we shouldn't have expectations? I don't know. I don't think there is anyway not to have expectations. Should we lower our expectations? But then we are setting ourselves and others up to be less than their / our best. So we have high expectations. How do we prevent our disappointment and anger and frustration?
sigh
November 27, 2008 10:06 AM
ah, putting you hope in other people will always cause disappointment! Just the other day(s) I put expectations in people I know and I too was disappointed!!!! But something happened when I didn't do that. Dad took some "junk" from our garage to the auction barn and last night they had a sale. This morning he was told that he was a "blessed" man. The thing that impressed me the most was, not that our stuff made a good auction and sold at so-so good prices (which we don't know yet), but that those that dad works for, the same people that sold his stuff, made comment that dad is "blessed" because they had a great sale, lots of people and good higher bids. I never thot that taking our junk to be sold by someone who doesn't believe in God would make mention that Dad is "blessed"!!! (He said lucky but the boss said that wasn't the word he was suppose to use, and made him repeat his statement using blessed!! Dad will have to tell you his version as this is what I got from what he told me. I just cried when dad told me that things went so well for us, and it was because of our stuff that left an impression on the auction staff. Hope you can understand all that. Point is don't put expectations on people, and thanks for the reminder that I shouldn't either!
November 27, 2008 12:31 PM
Sorry LD. Hope ttoday is MUCH better!
November 27, 2008 12:49 PM
I didn't mean to imply that all those things happened in one day. They are just common expectations around here.