This morning, I was thinking about the number of people that I talked to whose entire day was influenced by their expectations of others. "He (or she) should have...." "If only Person X would have..."  "If Person X would just...."  Depending on the situation, I sometimes nod knowingly, then encourage a few self-realization questions, but I always walk away with the same sadness in my heart.  For I realize this person is really, really, far from discovering happiness. We can't control other people--no matter how close to them we are. Anytime that we truly control another person - we are acting unhealthily and manipulating them. We aren't supposed to control other people. No one is a dictator of another person. We are just called on to control our own thoughts and actions.

 

To "expect nothing" as Alice encourages, isn't to say that we give up hope. It means that we don't expect things from other people. We don't put our needs in their hands. We put our needs where they belong--in our own hands and our faith.

When we put our needs in our own hands, then the positive actions of others become blessings versus expectations. We don't feel "let down" if something doesn't happen, but we feel inspired when something does.

 

Your Turn:
What needs have you given to others to fulfill for you? How has that been working for you? What step can you take today to put that need back into the only place where it can be filled---your own hands and your faith?

 

Your Affirmation:
The only expectation I hold is for me to daily commit to living my best life.