Expectations are all about desired results.  When things work out to the way we want we tend to be filled with contentment and/or joy. However, what happens when things and/or people don’t meet our expectations? How do we feel then? I know that I struggle with expectations.  When things don’t go my way, I take things personally. I get angry, upset, and hurt when I feel let down and depressed.  A good quote by Bruce Lee states,

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”

Having hope for a desired outcome is alright but trying to force an outcome that fits my expectations, and becoming consumed by negativity when it doesn’t, only puts me in a negative mindset. This is a lot harder than it seems, or at least for me it is. I feel that society itself has fallen victim to this shaping expectations of people through stereotyping. We judge people on appearances, and more often then not we are wrong. When we expect for others to act, respond, or do as we would like, more often then not we are disappointed. This can be a dangerous game to be played, especially for addicts. Like I mentioned earlier I have a tendency to take things personally and get consumed by negativity, as do most addicts. I don’t know about you but that’s where I end up turning to drinking or using to escape failed expectations and negativity. So, what I’ve learned at South Orange County Detox and Treatment is while expectations can be a good thing, we have to careful about what we expect and how we react when things when they don’t go the way that we expected.