I keep realising that expectations greatly influence mood and energy levels and how I feel physically. As we deal with people, life, work, and relationships, we start from a framework of past experiences. When we start out in life, we learn by doing and observing the consequences of our actions. If you do this, then this happens. If you say this to someone, they usually respond like this.
And so we go through life, building a framework for how life works. We learn new things along the way, adapt and grow. But, if you do that long enough, your actions come with a set of expectations. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: “Life is what happens when you make other plans”.
Could this fixation on our plans be the source of internal struggle? That we are, in fact, holding onto the past? Can this be another reason to be more present, open to what happens in the moment, rather than narrowly focused on one outcome?