Let Go of Your Toxic Expectations

The personal power and courage to have the best life possible are all nicely wrapped up in our package called self. Knowing when to unwrap and use each tool is a constant source of growth. Our personal tool chests have lots of “gadgets” just perfect to help inspire us and capture our heart’s happiness.

We regularly use “gadgets” like love, acceptance, sharing, creativity, passion, humor, kindness, embracing change, and the ability to continue to learn as tools of choice for life’s jobs and journeys.

For many of us the most powerful key to our best life is simply to have an expectation of love and happiness. Think about it, you usually perform as you expect to perform. You usually gain or lose what you expect to gain or lose. It’s almost like you have a self-programmed expectation of achievement, and then, do your best to live up or live down to it.

Think back to your childhood. What were you programmed to believe about yourself? That you were handsome, pretty, smart, the best, a winner, someone who can do anything, troubled, a loser, never going to amount to anything, a poor student, an underachiever, an overachiever, a moron?

Many of us start our lives without a good self-image. We don’t believe in ourselves at an early age and buy into criticisms of toxic people around us. We are young and impressionable. We believe the adults around us to be our protectors and our experts on life. If they are negative, we become negative. If they suffer from low self-esteem, we suffer from lower self-esteem, and the cycle begins.

So much of our thinking is set at a young age and very few of us question what’s best for us personally as adults. It’s very hard to shake our initial brainwashing of youth. And when one questions, it is thought of as defiance against those who “love” you rather than a growing-up experience.

Learning who you are and what your expectations are for yourself are the ultimate growing-up task of adulthood. If something is not working, this is the chance to fix it and live out your wishes or expectations.

Action always starts with some sort of expectation. You have to be ready to receive or accept what is coming at you whether it is an opportunity, a learning experience, or just plain wonderful happiness. If you don’t expect it, chances are you won’t perceive or receive it. The best gift you can give yourself is a moment to rethink your patterns of behavior and personal expectations for your life.

Do it today and reap the rewards. Life is an adventure reaping joy, happiness, and your ultimate best. Open your chest of tools and get to work. Expect happiness and you will be happy.