Expectations

It's hard to keep yourself from having expectations. We expect things to happen and, for the most part, we even expect things to happen in a certain way. We anticipate an upcoming event and we create expectations for how that event will turn out.

Most of the time, for me at least, those expectations are pretty general. Thoughts like, "Everything will go well and run smoothly" and "I'm going to have a good time." Usually the general, wide spread expectations are more of a reassurance or a mantra to get me through whatever event is occurring. The problem I have with expectations is when it comes to personal relationships. Relationships with family, friends, potential boyfriends, co-workers, etc.

See, I am an over thinker. I think through every situation and all the possible outcomes before I ever reach the situation (that is, whenever I have the opportunity to do so). I talk things out with other people to try to figure out if my expectations are realistic or not, but there are always those little hopes and fears that sneak in and can quickly turn realistic expectations around. I really hate that I do that. I always think that my life would be so much easier if I just stopped over thinking things, not if I stopped expecting things to go one way or another, but if I just stopped thinking about those expectations until they became so drastically different from the possible real life outcome.

I guess my point is that we should expect good things, but expect them to come in their normal, everyday packages. Expectations can be exciting and can be the thing you need to give you that boost to do something daring, but building up unrealistic expectations can leave you dissatisfied with the good things that are real.