Expectations

All my life I have heard that you should not place expectations on anyone lest they let you down. Recently I've been thinking about this maxim and wondering if I truly agree with the principle. By not expecting anything from people, you are guaranteed safety. What you are not guaranteed, however, is success.

I have certainly learned over the years is that there are some you SHOULD be able to depend on:  family and close friends. Sadly, those people don't always see the responsibility as you do. I understand when close friends let you down occasionally. But family? That infuriates me! I should probably leave this topic alone, but it doesn't lessen the truth that I feel this way.

While expectations may result in disappointment, without expectations nothing will ever get done either! Unless I have the expectation of obtaining a certain position or level of excellence, I won't push myself or my team to reach it. Without the expectation that I can change a situation, I will continue to be stifled in the status quo.

This brings about the question of whether or not my expectations are set too high? In almost everything I do, I like to shoot for the moon! Dream big and aim high! That way even when I fail and people and situations don't meet my expectations, I can still experience some level of success because my expectations were so high.

Today has been a day filled with disappointment and frustration. Those I thought I should be able to depend on have let me down and shown their true colors. At the same time, others have stood by my side and rose above my expectations to assist in ways that were not their responsibility. It just goes to show that expectations are constantly changing....some for the better and some for the worse. Sometimes you just begin to expect the worst in a situation and are surprised when things go better than expected.

I'm thankful that tomorrow will be a new day with new expectations. That's the hope that comes with each new sunrise.