Awareness and the "Expectations Trap"
Our expectations can confuse us into thinking that our goals will bring us much more than they actually do, so we often pursue the wrong goals.
Our expectations can create significant stress when they don't match up to reality.
Our expectations for our lives may be unrealistic and skewed based on what we think others have. Our perspective of what others have is limited; they DO NOT have the lives we perceive.
It's important to take a deeper look into how your expectations stack up to reality. Here are some healthy ways to start.
When you go into a new situation, ask yourself what you expect to happen.
Ask yourself if your expectations should be this way. Where did these expectations come from and are they realistic?
When you feel disappointed, try to think about whether it was realistic to expect what you were hoping for. (If so, make a plan for getting what you want next time. If not, think about managing your expectations and how to do this.)
Managing Expectations:
If you'd like to get out of the expectations vs. reality trap, it all comes down to awareness. Becoming aware of what you are expecting is a great start. Becoming aware of what you "should" be expecting is also a wise idea. Gaining perspective from experts and advisers is also a an amazing tactic to help with gaining awareness, black and white thinking is so common and new objective view points can help us break the mold. Avid Advice Psychic Masterminds like @persianmedium are great resources for this guidance and experts in awareness!