Do you get discouraged when life doesn’t work out exactly as you planned?

Are you often disappointed when certain things don’t turn out as you hoped they would?

Do you try to control every aspect of your life or are you able to embrace life as it comes?

Take a few minutes and recognize how many times you expected certain situations, events, or relationships to turn out a certain way. Was the outcome based on how you thought they should have happened or how they actually were?

This quote by Heather Helper provides the opportunity to reflect on our life and look at all of those instances where we projected our own thoughts and beliefs, as well those from family and friends, of how we envisioned it turning out as opposed to just being present in the moment and enjoying the experience of what is.

By doing this, what tends to happen when our vision of how things should be doesn’t play out as expected? It often leads to disappointment, frustration, discouragement, even anger.

Have you ever said any of the following statements?

I should have:

  • Figured out what I want by now.
  • Established career by now.
  • Started a family by now.

This constant “shoulding” on yourself leaves you living an unhappy life. When you apply expectations on your life, created by your mind based on what you think should happen, you can’t enjoy what life actually brings forth to you.

Yes, you can take specific action to achieve certain things or head down certain paths but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything, nor should it. Life is unpredictable. That is the beauty of it. We all crave certainty. I do as well. It is one of our human needs. However, if you try to control life to a point where it hinders you from experiencing what life truly is, a journey, then why live.

Tell me, would you honestly be happy if you knew how everything was going to turn out all of the time? That sounds like it would be quite boring, at least to me anyway.

Life is learning and moving through the twists and turns that come our way add to the excitement of being alive. The ups and downs and the highs and lows make life worth living.

Although in order to enjoy those moments, it is important to be present and live in what is happening as opposed to trying to dictate what the outcome should be.

If you are feeling let down by the unmet expectations you have placed on your life and where you think you should be take a second to embrace what is and realize that you are exactly where you need to be. Remember, just because you wanted something to happen a certain way, it doesn’t mean that outcome would have been the best for you in that moment.

Life is working for you. Be present and live life as it is, learn and grow from it, and enjoy the journey.

Now it’s your turn.

How does this quote inspire you?

Tell me about an experience where you expected something within your life to happen a certain way and the complete opposite occurred. How did you feel? Were you able to embrace what life brought you knowing it was for you to learn from? Or did it leave feeling upset and disappointed?

If this is something you often struggle with, reach out. I am happy to connect with you and provide you with the support and guidance you need.

Contact me or share your thoughts below in the Comments section.

Let’s get the discussion going.

Remember, you are not alone on this journey. Together we can become stronger individuals.

Educate. Engage. Evolve.