For the most part, I believe we’re all doing the best we can. We’re trying to create a better life for ourselves, and we want the world to be a place where each of us can be free and feel at home. Having said that, many of us still have that nagging question, “If I’m trying and doing the best I can, why do I feel so disappointed most of the time?” The cause of this disappointment, my friends, has nothing to do with our effort and dedication. It is due to the expectations we build in each moment. Yes, unfortunately, it is the expectations we hold that is the killer of all potential success. We know that our ultimate goal is to learn how to create that which we want and need, but how can we go about it without creating unnecessary expectations as we proceed? In other words, if our intent is to create something, wouldn’t it be natural to expect results? The short answer is yes, we can expect results, but we must first let go of that very expectation. Let’s take a look.
The biggest contributor to all those unnecessary and limiting expectations is our lack of patience. If we expect to see results immediately, we will always be disappointed. And, my friends, with continued disappointment, an inevitable unwillingness will naturally follow. You know the story, we give up before things get a chance to come together. The best way to bring forth what we’re trying to create is to let go of it! You see, it is our attempt to place conditions on our creations that affect their outcome, especially that of timing, or rather, our false sense of immediacy. It is important that we tell ourselves that time has no value in the creative process. We must also pay less attention to the what, where, and when of it all, and pay more attention to the why. Do you see the freedom in this? Do you see the release of expectation, and the greater likelihood of success?
The next most significant contributor to those pesky expectations is that what we think we want and need may not be correct. This may be an even more difficult one for us to work on. So, our process goes like this. We set a goal and begin creating in order to bring it into our lives. Then, we must let go, so it can show up in the best way possible. This requires us to pay attention to all aspects of ourselves and our lives, for we will indeed receive indications of how our creation is coming along, in many different ways. If we see no indication, or we seem to be hitting the wall, then maybe we need to reconsider the creation itself. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to keep trying, by changing how we’re doing it, rather than, if we should be doing it at all. This brings in that self-judgment, for we believe we’re doing it all wrong. In actuality, we’re not doing anything wrong, we’re just choosing the wrong thing. This ensures our defeat. You see, there’s no wrongness in a simple awareness that we’re choosing incorrectly. Once we get over the initial disappointment, we open ourselves to choosing what is appropriate. If we go about our creative process this way, success is guaranteed. To help us through the disappointment, we can simply realize there is something much better, just waiting to be discovered. My friends, there’s never a need to be discouraged. It is also quite possible that what we are trying to create, well, maybe our timing is a little off. Again, we remind ourselves of patience. We’ll get there much quicker by having that all important realistic approach. We attain this realism by accepting what is before us, by seeing what actually is, and thereby seeing what is possible and important right now.
There are other factors that contribute to our expectations, but the two above will suffice! Whatever you’re trying to accomplish, be patient, for this will alleviate the stress of it all. Leave things alone, let them come forward in the way they are intended to. Be willing to change your mind, for we often do not know what is best for us. Always be open to the choices that have the greatest positive impact on yourself, others, and life in general. In this way, success will be yours at every turn.
Perhaps the teachings of the Great Lord Buddha are fitting here, in my own words, of course!
Choose the middle way, my companions, for in the center is the whole
Within the whole, absolute acceptance is found
Release yourselves from emotional attachments in your life journey, for these will only inhibit your creative success
Expectations draw near when desire for the unreal and unnecessary is upon you
Expect nothing, and thereby expect everything, for this is the cosmic chuckle
Be free, be at peace, for the power of choice is with you, always
All my love and support, be well