Unbalanced Expectations

Do you suffer from an imbalance in expectations? Allow me to explain. It is really easy for us to get frustrated when others do not meet our expectations. This is especially true of explicit expectations we place on others and clearly communicate to them. But we also get bent out of shape when people do not meet the implicit expectations, the assumptions we have that others will do something a certain way or perform a certain task.

Either way, implicit or explicit, we seem to place a lot of emphasis on the expectations we set on others. But how about the expectations we set on ourselves? Do we have the same grace and patience for others when they do not measure up that we do for ourselves when we do not live up to our own self-imposed expectations?

We can easily get upset and frustrated when others let us down, but when we fail ourselves, what happens? Do you give yourself a free pass or at least extra leniency when you do not measure up to expectations?

I believe that is the imbalance in expectations: too many (and those often poorly communicated) expectations on others and not enough on yourself. You would likely have less frustration in life if your focus was on how you are living rather than measuring others. After all, you can only control you, and that takes plenty of effort and energy just on its own!

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