Have you noticed how people will often do the unexpected? They will do the one really annoying thing that shocks the hell out of you and throws you a curve ball in life?
We all expect to be able to do what we what, when we want in our lives, but when others do that and it affects us, it can throw us off and into feeling angry, outraged, or hard done by. We find ourselves thinking “How could they do that to me?!”
It doesn’t feel good! But that IS their right… and yours.
Expectations can be a relationship killer. Human nature sometimes leads us to expect too much of others, or expect them to be responsible for our happiness – big ask!
People often over-commit and say ‘Yes’ when they mean ‘No’ (if this is you, read my article on people-pleasing). They will wimp out at the last minute and do, or not do things, just to annoy you.
So how do you stop putting yourself in that position?
This is how – expect everything, anything and nothing from others and realise that is their right as a human being, with a life that they want to live their way, NOT yours. They are not here to make your life right, they’re here for their own life experience.
Expect the unexpected, or better still, expect nothing. Don’t expect others to live their lives the way you want them to, or feel they should. Don’t expect them to do what they promise – they probably will, but might not. You know that old saying ‘Don’t count your eggs until they’re in the basket’? Exactly that.
Expect the unexpected and you will free yourself of a lot of disappointment and feeling let down and angry.
No expectation of those around you means being open to all possibilities and outcomes and with that will come a feeling of freedom from being at the mercy of other people and their behaviour… how liberating is that!