Last week I wrote about how to stay in the moment. Being mindful is the first key strategy in dealing with the pressures of everyday life.
The second is managing our expectations. How often do we think, "It shouldn't be like this!" or, "They shouldn't act that way!"
You may be right. But that's not what happened, is it? Life isn't fair. Things happen that are unpleasant that we don't deserve, and people frequently don't behave the way we think they ought to. The result is that we put pressure on ourselves, learn to be a "victim," or become cynical. There is a better way.
Ask yourself these questions:
Is there anything positive or constructive I can do about this?
What higher good could come from this?
What lesson(s) can I learn from this?
What in this experience can I find gratitude for? (Hint: It might be only that you had the strength to get through it, but there is always something.)
Remind yourself that everything tends to work out in the end.
Remind yourself that the only person over whom you have control is you.Why did someone else behave the way they did? Find compassion for their point of view.
Will this matter in 5 years?
Will my expectations change the way someone else behaves?
Why is having things my way important?
Remind yourself that, “Energy flows where attention goes.”
This is just one way to readjust our expectations. Check out the Services page to find a package that works for you.