5 Things You Should Stop Expecting From Others

The biggest disappointments in our lives are more often than not, a result of misplaced expectations. This is especially true when it comes to personal relationships, friendships and interactions with others. Lowering your expectations of others will greatly reduce unnecessary frustration from your life and theirs.

Therefore, it's time to:

stop expecting them to agree with you- i guess it's human nature to have our own perception and opinion of things and naturally expect others to agree with us. sorry to disappoint, but it doesn't work that way. you are not in this world to live up to the expectations of others, nor should you feel that they are here to live up to yours. in fact, the more you approve of your own decisions in life, the less you need the approval of others.

dare to be yourself and follow your own intuitions. stop comparing yourself with others and don't be discouraged of their success or fame. follow your own path and stay true to your own purpose.

stop expecting them to like you- in today's world where everything is dominated by social media and social expectations, it's almost always impossible to stay true and be yourself because of the pressure to be someone else to live someone else's life. we are pressured by the need to be liked by everybody and we waste an ample amount of time to do the things that we think will encourage others to like us. but no matter how good you are to people, there will always be one negative person who will criticize you. you cannot please everybody. smile, ignore them and carry on.

in this crazy world where everyone is trying to make you like everyone else, the greatest battle you'll ever have to fight is the battle to be your own self. and as you're fighting back, not everyone is going to like you. and that's ok. as long as you know you are doing your best and do the next best thing, you don't need to expect others to like you.

stop expecting others to suddenly change-people are capable of change but for the most part though, you can't change people and you shouldn't try.either you accept who they are or you choose to live without them. it might sound harsh but it's not. if there is something you want to change in somebody, pull out your cards on the table and so this person knows how you feel and would know what to do. more often than not, when we try to change people, they often remain the same, but when you don't try to change them-thus support them to be who they are- they gradually change in a more beautiful and positive way.

stop expecting them to know what you're thinking- you can't read minds. they can't read your mind either. others will never know how you feel unless you tell them. your husband doesn't know that you hate it when he slams the car door and that it makes you want to pull your hair out and scream unless you tell him. your boss? she doesn't know you want a raise because you know you're working hard. i am honestly guilty of this. i always assume that others know what i'm thinking and what i want. i would only send out cues and hints but rarely will i speak out. over the years though, i have learned that it just brings disappointments.

in life, you have to communicate with others regularly and effectively. and often, you have to speak out and let others hear your voice. you have to tell people what you're thinking. it's as simple as that.

stop expecting them to respect you more than you expect yourself- respect begets respect and hate begets hate. if you want others to respect you, you should be able to show respect to yourself and to them as well. when you practice self-love and self-respect, you allow yourself to be happy and show others that you deserve to be respected too. it is important to be nice and follow social norms and be kind to others. these are the ways people acknowledge you as a good person and earn their respect along the way.

People rarely behave the way you want them to. And you can't make them. Expect less, but hope for the best. Once you accept this, it becomes easier to work things through and disappointments do not become as harsh as they can be. The magnitude of your happiness is directly proportional to your thoughts and how you think about things.

XOXO,

Karen