Expectations - A Cup with no bottom
Expectations : Don't we all have one
We all have expectations whether it's expectations from ourselves to excel or expectations from others. Every morning we wake-up expecting our day to be perfect and everything just falling into its right place. This desire to create the world around us according to our own vision often leads to disappointments, frustrations and anxiety when the world tends to chose a different path than what we expect it to. Lord Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita :
He whose undertakings are free from anxious desire and fanciful thought, whose work is made pure in the fire of wisdom: he is called wise by those who see. 4.20 In whatever work he does such a man in truth has peace: he expects nothing, he relies on nothing, and ever has fullness of joy.
- The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 4)
The true disease is your expectations
To live a meaningful, peaceful life is to live it free from any form of anxious desires and fanciful thoughts. Expectations are nothing but our willful desire of outcome of future. We let our expectations grow without being aware of the fact that how much stress and anxiety we have to go through daily because of it.Be it expectation from our children to get top grades or expecting our spouse to be loyal to us or even expecting to get a good job or qualify the exams often leads to anxiety and depression if the life takes an unexpected turn.Our expectations are like a cup with no bottom that we are trying to fill, whenever you think you are done you see a new top to be filled.We are often unaware of the root cause of our stress and depression. If you are depressed because of your poor grades in exam or because you are jobless or your son just failed to win a sporting tournament, then perhaps you are only looking at the symptom of the problem. The true disease is your expectations.
Understanding the root cause
Once you are aware of why we get depressed and start sensing the anxiety that engulfs you are on the path of true emotional and spiritual enlightenment. Remember Expectations is the key to all the stress and anxiety. All our thoughts about ourselves, about our surrounding, people we interact with , situations we face are the reasons why keep getting caught in such emotional paradox .The easiest way to get out of this paradox of stress and anxiety is to stop expecting and start accepting. Accept the reality as it is and think of the good things that are happening around us. Your story may not have such a happy beginning, but that doesn't make you who you are. It is the rest of your story – who you choose to be.Live life in the present moment, past must be seen only as a learning tool while future must be seen as a mystery box . Instead of keep guessing what the box holds for you one must rather cherish what one already has.So take a long breath, stretch out your hands let the positive energy in the universe flow into you and keep telling yourself ,that , the way to peace is to live in present moment without any expectations of future.
What do you do when your Expectations are not met ?
Expectations must be only seen as personal directives to our lives. It's good to have goals in our life but one should never be a reason for depression. Create goals, strive to achieve them, enjoy all you accomplish and appreciate the day you made. Remember its the Journey that matters not the destination.
Remember you have all the potential and chance to become what you want to be look around...opportunities are there for people who seek. Learn to accept life as it is, stop expecting so that you can start working on to enjoy your life.
