I do! I want to believe that anything is possible for everyone. This belief system is so true to my core that I live, breathe, and teach it every day of my life. And, even I have found that not everything is possible for everyone.
When I find myself thinking someone or something should be different, that is where disappointment comes in. It is my expectation. Disappointment is the gap between what we expect in someone or something and what the reality is.
You can still believe in someone or something being better. It is a delicate balance of holding that vision while accepting someone for who they are. For where they are. And, they may not want it to be different. Or they do, and they just aren’t there yet.
Any which way you look at it, disappointments are your own doing. This is GOOD NEWS! This means you can change any disappointments in your life. Disappointments are unnecessary burdens we carry weighing us down. Even worse, disappointment can create a divide between you and your loved one.
If you are expecting a fish to ride a bicycle, it will lead to disappointment. The reality is fish cannot ride bicycles. If you can bridge that gap by seeing – and accepting – someone or something for who they are that will help you in living a life free of disappointments.
Your parent is not going to stop being a narcissist. Can you still love them unconditionally while creating healthy boundaries?
Your colleague is not going to stop taking over the meeting. Can you find creative ways to share your ideas anyway?
Your body is not going to move like a ballerina. Can you pretend to dance like one anyway?
Accepting someone for who they are does NOT mean we condone their behavior. We can still ask someone to step up in a new way. We can create healthy boundaries. Accepting someone just means you no longer have to live with disappointment which is an unnecessary burden you carry. It wastes your precious time and energy.
Here is the shucking secret to all of this. This is also true for YOU! When you find yourself expecting yourself to be something different than you are or somewhere different than you are, you are creating your own disappointment. This is only going to keep you in a cycle of self-doubt holding you back from living your best life.
Find acceptance for yourself – while holding a vision for where you want to go – and see how you soar!!!
Where can you let go of expectations to live disappointment free? I’d love to hear from you. I read every e-mail.
P.S. I am sooooo excited to share my 10 minute visualization meditation with you! We humans like to do what is familiar. By visualizing your dream, it starts to make it familiar to you and thus easier to pursue! Try it daily for a week and let me know much momentum it creates for you.