Are Your High Expectations Really Your Own? What to Do if You are Still Living for Others
by www.Sedona.com
Your mother always knew you should be a lawyer (you’re a florist). Your father always said you should be in politics (you detest them). And your well-meaning spouse knows that your novel will become a national bestseller (even though you’ve reiterated that it’s just for fun).
Still, these expectations linger in the back of your mind. Should you have attended law school? Challenged city hall? Sent your novel to some publishers?
Even as adults, many of us find that other’s expectations of us linger in the backs of our minds, and sometimes in the forefront. You were voted “most likely to succeed” in high school, after all, so why are you still living paycheck to paycheck (even though you’re happy doing it)?
Such expectations, whether they come from a parent, spouse, friend or acquaintance, can be emotionally devastating.
“All expectations are IOUs for disappointment,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.
This is particularly true when they’re not even your own. But how can you determine what your own true goals are, and which are being clouded by the expectations of others?
“The best way to discover your truth is to ask yourself ‘What is my heart’s deepest desire?’ and then keep letting go of whatever thought or feeling that desire brings up inside of you,” Dwoskin says. “As you do this you free yourself of a lot of other people’s expectations -- and the ideas that stick after you let go are great indicators of what is true for you.”
If you’re having a hard time releasing other’s expectations for fear that you’ll let them down, The Sedona Method is something you should look in to. By teaching you how to release, the Method shows you how to free yourself of your desire to please others. And with that freedom you will be able to discover real peace.
Likewise, if your own expectations of yourself and your life are holding you back from what you truly desire, you can let go of that too.
“It is best to approach every situation with an open mind and heart as best you can,” Dwoskin says. “Simply let go of your expectations while still holding in mind the outcome that you desire, and you will achieve your true dreams.” | 
