Don’t You Expect Anything?

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”
― Bruce Lee

We hear quotes such as “Expectations hurts, so don’t expect” and so on, all the time. I don’t understand why not to expect. What exactly is an expectation? From whom we expect? Does expectation come from those who are close to us, from whom we love the most, from those who are important in our lives and so on? We don’t expect anything from strangers. Accordingly, I feel ‘expectation’ is an emotion inherent in us – probably from the time we are born (and due to conditioning) or the way our society has molded us. The reasons can be many or none at all. 

But, can we do something about ‘expectation?’. I know that we can control and we can change ourselves. I believe in all these theories but I have never tried them yet. Whoever has tried to change or control themselves, someone around them, I want to ask a question, “Don’t you expect anything after doing so?” I would like to know the answer.

We cannot control sometimes, we cannot let it go, we cannot understand all the time, we cannot control our anger all the time. Why? The answer to all of these things is “Expectations”. People expect so much from each other and hurt each other. I think you should not suppress it. Don’t just push yourself so much that you forget your own true nature. Expectations are okay but don’t over expect from anyone. Just keep in mind one thing – If you are expecting something, there are high chances that you can get hurt too. You are responsible for your expectations and no one else is answerable. It is entirely up to the other person to fulfil your expectations or not. 

I know that it is hard not to hurt yourself because of someone else. You love someone and you expect reciprocity but it is not possible all the time. People say true love is when you go with the flow of the one who matters to you – their happiness, needs and so on. But what about the reverse? What about your happiness? We are human beings, after all. 

We want to feel loved at some point. The hard truth is that expectations are always present and will continue to be there too. We cannot run away nor have the power to control them. Whenever you get hurt, just think about why you feel hurt and the reason will be “Expectation”.

Thank you,

Keep Smiling

Riya Om