"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." ~ Henry Ford
Do you have expectations for yourself, your future? What is an expectation? An expectation is a logical, or not so logical, way in which we want the events of our lives to unfold, how we think things should be, mostly because of the experiences we've had in the past. Here is the concept of the power of beliefs and expectations... people tend to behave as you expect they will. What happens is you act in accordance with your expectations, which in turn, enables your expectations to become true.
Now, having expectations automatically makes something in your mind a destination. That's one reason to not sit on an antique-mindset or be narrow thinking. If you do, your mind becomes closed and functions on conclusions, then, you cease to really learn about anything at all. However, studies have shown that the greater the expectation placed upon people, the better they perform and opposite of that... where as low expectations lead to a decrease in performance. Any way you look at it, they are forms of a self-fulfilling prophecy. So as you can see, due to the feedback between belief and behavior, your expectation, either directly or indirectly, becomes true. And, when you have no expectations things just happen in your life... you really don’t “do” anything. Well, maybe you make a strong determined resolution to do something, then soon become inattentive, and things just happen, then you rationalize why things did not work out the way you expected them to, umm!
Well understand this, we
all live with a little censor that resides inside us, our inside voice,
that is constantly comparing every little thing, and this comparing
inevitably leads us to have many expectations. However, your goal is to get positive results from your expectations, so when they do come true, they'll be what you expect and here's how you can do that.
- Become aware of your inner voice. Yes, that little voice inside you is there to automatically evaluate and compare any situation against the backdrop of your values and beliefs. Only after your evaluation, will you proceed with some type of action or non-action, which is still a form of action. Learning to constantly question your inner voice automatically creates inner space for you to freely observe your thinking processes. It buys you time to positively form your expectation.
- Then, you need to learn to not express and become identified with negative emotions. Observe them, evaluate them, but do not be one with them. Emotions are not always fact or truth. Emotions are your expression to what you believe about something and can lead youu to an expectation, which you believe, even though it may not be true. So, let your mind do its job of sane rational thinking and your heart do the feeling, without letting them mix into each other and become corrupted.
- Now for an exercise, picture two areas at work or home, where you're not getting the results you'd like. Then identify at least one belief or expectation that might be blocking your results in each case. Could it be old, long-held beliefs such as being resistant to change, being too self-absorbed or your boss, co-worker, friend, or child doesn't like you, etc. Remember, it's what you believe or convince yourself of, not the truths about the situation, which brings your expectation to its inevitable conclusion.... get rid of the stinky thinking.
Your beliefs show up in your actions and behaviors, affecting relationships, influence, and outcomes, either positively or negatively. So don't underestimate the impact of expectations. You're deciding what thoughts fill your day, so choose well, for your thoughts really does determine your reality. And remember, whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right.
No comments:
Post a Comment