A Note From Dr. Beverly Nelson, Director
Expectations: we all have them. Do people and things often exceed your expectations? Your answer to this question is probably “no, they don’t!”. What happens is mostly the opposite.
What lies at the root of expectation? Part of it is a sincere wish for things to turn out well, whether it’s for ourselves or for those we know and love. The other part is that we want to count on people, especially on our friends and relatives. They are our ‘safety net’, and we like to think that they will always be there when we need them the most. However, we forget to consider that there might be circumstances that get in the way, when the moment comes for them to be there for us. We also forget to take personality traits into account.
We can all disappoint others unwillingly. If you have ever been in this awkward position, it is up to you to make amends and clear things up with the other person, in order to keep that from happening again. You can prevent this situation too: just be clear and upfront with people – whether it’s friends, colleagues, relatives, etc – about what they can expect from you. If you are the one who seems to always end up disappointed, here are 2 suggestions:
– When the same person(s) keep(s) disappointing you, it might be a good time to reconsider their place in your life. Do you really need the constant aggravation?
– If you are constantly feeling disappointed by life, it’s probably good to ask yourself: what do you want? What am I doing to get it? How much of this am I responsible for? Am I leaning on others too much?
Being disappointed is no reason to lose faith in all people. It’s just a great window of opportunity to improve your take on life – and thus, be happier!
