Sanora, are you there?
Yes, greetings my son, how are you on this wonderful fall morning?
Very well, thank you.
Wonderful, how then may we be of service to you today?
Well I was wondering what you might have to say about the idea of “expectation.”
With regards to that idea, we would say that expectation is not an idea that most of you delve into very deeply, and so we hope through this particular dialogue, to be able to give you some new and useful insight into the whole concept of expectation.
Expectation is a descriptive word symbol for an idea that is somewhat variable. It would be accurate to say that, you all hold the expectation you will still be alive one hour, month, year from now. This is a very subtle, but important expectation which you all hold and take for granted.
You all hold other, not so subtle expectations about life, which you are hoping will come to pass. However, as the time between your present expectation and it’s deliverance increases, your certainty that your expectation will be met diminishes, because you realize that the amount of possible events which could occur in the in-term, create an increasing probability that life will unfold differently than you expect.
As a result of this possibility then, one could say that expectations share some relationship to time, and are affected by it.
Another aspect of expectations is that, everyone holds the expectation that the sun will come up tomorrow, and that summer will follow spring, regardless of the time factor involved, and in so doing, you have set up a “hierarchy” of expectations in your mind.
Your situation reveals that you believe some of your expectations are subject to time, and some reside outside of time.
Now for our purpose of discussion we will define expectation as a preconceived, personal, future version of reality. Expectation then, as you define and use it, has nothing to do with reality as it exists, but is the vision that you hold in your mind about how reality will be in some future moment.
Having expectations then, means that regardless of whatever is happening in the “now,” there is a desire for change within the mind of the person who holds the expectation.
So in setting up an expectation, one is mentally reshaping the future in an attempt to move into a more desirable state of being. Therefore, there is always the question as to whether in the act of creating an expectation, one has fully extracted all the joy the present moment has to offer.
When one is totally “content” in the present moment, how can there be a “yearning” for anything more, or different?
As a result of pondering this question, you will realize that the two ideas of “contentment” and “expectation,” both form an “inverse relationship,” where any increase in contentment results in a decrease of expectations, and the opposite is true as well.
Zen masters do not meditate for years on how they might increase their portfolio, or achieve world domination. Contentment can only be had and experienced in the “present moment,” and an endless list of personal future expectations, leads one “away” from contentment, not into it.
Can humanity move ahead then without expectations? No it can’t.
As in all things balance is the key. A life lived with no inner drive caused by expectations, must be limiting by nature, as would a life lived with nothing but continual contentment.
Your competitive business model is an example of “continual expectation” with regards to growth and profit. How well is that working for “everyone?” How often do businesses allow themselves and their employees time to relax and enjoy the fruits of everyone’s labor?
Life was meant to be enjoyed and savored, and so a life of current joy, balanced with the expectation of future joy, is a well designed life.
We would also like to point out that the increasing “emotional attachment” to an expectation works both for you, and against you, in that it can deliver both temporary joy or negative emotion, depending on the individual.
In light of this, we would say that the answer lies not in lowering your expectation (although that can help) but in removing the time frame which you have imposed on the universe for its deliverance.
People always seek to be the “controlling factor” in the manifestation of all that they desire, despite the fact that most people are not even the least bit familiar as to the mechanics of creation. You are all setting yourselves up for a big fall then when, in ignorance of the whole creative process, you try to force the universe to deliver your desires through your own personal ideas about the creative process.
Even when you fully and accurately understand the whole creative process, it must still unfold according to natural law and timing. All one can do to enhance this process is to accurately understand it, and as a result, remove all the obstacles to the deliverance of your desires.
So in setting up expectations, you are also working with other “associative universal laws,” in order that they may be fulfilled.
Now another aspect to expectations has to do with free will, and to what extent your expectations involve other people as opposed to just yourself alone. You have expectations, as do other people, whose expectations might not be identical to your own.
Now since the universe primarily uses existing channels of structure to deliver your desires to you, that means your desires will be coming through the actions of other people, who themselves have their own expectations.
The more people involved in the process, the greater the number of personal expectations which must all become identical, for everyone to be happy. Not a very likely scenario, wouldn’t you say?
Thus, the more numerous your expectations are of other people and the greater the number of people involved, the greater the likely-hood there will be conflict between your, and their, expectations. Therefore, setting up expectations, and demanding that everyone conform to them, is bound to increase the discontent you experience between yourself and other people.
If the goal of expectations is to deliver you to a greater state of well-being, then this will in all probability take you in the opposite direction. Our advise in this area is to keep your expectations as “personal” as possible, and to involve as few people in them as you are able.
And,.. when other people do not meet your expectations, we would suggest that you try to remember the number of times “you” might not have met the expectations of other people. This should work to keep things in perspective for you.
We have touched just briefly on the idea of expectation however, in closing we would say that expectations advance the development of human consciousness, while at the same time, stealing much of the personal peace and joy people might otherwise experience, therefore, as in all things, “balance” is the key to life.
We hope this has met with your expectations, with regard to this topic. Can we serve you further my son?
No, that was great Sanora, thanks.
Your most welcome. Peace, love and joy, unto you and yours.
Sanora1 Blog 