Low To No. Or Many. Expectations

“We might deserve something.

We might be entitled to it.

But expectations are a story we tell ourselves, and that story is up to us.

The simple life hack is to lower your expectations, regardless of what you’re entitled to. Create the conditions for the outcome you seek, but leave yourself room if it doesn’t arrive.

Lowering expectations is a way to ensure that tomorrow is even better than you hope it will be.” -Seth Godin

“The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.” –Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu (Stephen Mitchell translation)

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.” -Shakespeare

“We listen with expectation, insight and point of view.” – Howard Fine

“Our actions are the result of immediate needs and expectations…In rehearsals we must discover and test the actions that are needed from moment to moment in conjunction with what we expect from them…My passion for acting returned, never to desert me again, once I had understood how to suspend knowledge of what was to come by unearthing the character’s expectations.” -Uta Hagen, book A Challenge For The Actor

In life, having low expectations is good.

But having no expectations is really, really good.

Love of process. Outcome is irrelevant.

On stage, the more and specific expectations you have, the better.