Expectations VS Reality

How do you handle unmet expectations? It is my personal belief that unmet expectations are one of the most discouraging experiences we can go through in life. When we fall short of an expectation for our family, our relationships, our career, our physique or anything else, it is extremely painful. This is when the feelings of failure can creep in and we are tempted to quit. So what do you do in those situations? I don’t know what you do, but as a person who has had his fair share of unmet expectations I want to share with you three things I do.  

1. I do not internalize the failure. If you experience a failure in life it does not mean you are a failure in life.  

2. I find the win. In every unmet expectation there is a win to be found. The win may be deep down under the surface of discouragement, but nevertheless it is there. You have to pull your focus away from what went wrong and make the choice to focus on what went right.

3. I never quit. I believe that the only time you truly fail is if you quit. If you keep moving forward and decide to learn from the failure, you have not failed, you have learned what to do next time.  

A friend of mine recently reminded me of a passage and I want to share it with you. It reads, “So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.” If you are doing what is right, don’t give up, don’t quit on your dream, your health, or your family. Maybe you are facing discouragement right now and it feels unbearable. My encouragement to you would be to keep on moving forward because this too shall pass.