Our expectations get us into a lot of trouble, especially those expectations that we keep to ourselves. They can be the source of so much misery and disappointment.
Welcome back to Best Christmas Ever! Where we are exploring 28 Ways to Make this Your Best Christmas Ever!
#5 is… Temper your expectations.
Sometimes lowering your expectations is the only sane thing to do. Every family has stories about people who do the same thing year after year to offend and upset others. Their actions are no doubt the primary problem, but you get to decide how you respond to their actions. And you get to set your own expectations.
The gap between what we expect to happen and what actually happens is where so much of our unhappiness resides. I call this the Expectations Gap. Five things fill the gap: disappointment, resentment, anger frustration, and loss of trust.
Take some time to think about the expectations you have of other people this Christmas. Are they reasonable? Will they meet them? Do you need to adjust your expectations?
Then take some time to think about the expectations you have of yourself this Christmas. Are they reasonable? Will you meet them? Do you need to adjust your expectations?
And now, take some time to think about the expectations other people have of you this Christmas. Are they reasonable? Will you meet them? Do you need to have a conversation with anyone to adjust those expectations?
It might be time to reset some of your expectations.
Matthew Kelly
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