Tuesday 20 March 2012

Is It Necessary To Control Our Expectations?

Life is largely a matter of expectation - Horace 

Today's general human tendency is that nobody shows interest to fix a ceiling limit on their expectations. 
Nothing looks harm in it - is it not?

Of course, what could prevent you from expecting something? We usually receive what we forecast. So, expectations are like dreams - which we wish to attain over a period of time. 


So, what exactly am I trying to say here on Controlling our Expectations? May be a lateral thinking though!!


People often don't know to differentiate between their wants and needs. Let me put below their definitions in simple language: 
Want - something you would like to have; Need- something you have to have.


When you wish to fulfill all your needs - its a normal expectation. But when you wish to fulfill all your wants - its abnormal!! Yes, it is...


Right from our childhood, everyone taught us how to elevate to next level in life. Rarely few think & educate us about how to be happy in present life with what we possess. 


A person owning a bicycle expects to have a scooter & a person with scooter aims to own a car and so on... But when they get what they wanted, are they satisfied? If yes, then there is nothing to discuss on this. But in reality, their expectations keep growing till their last moment of life, may be till their last breath...


Please remember - compared to the age of Universe which is few million years, a human life occupies only a very small portion - roughly 60 - 70 years... If most of the time we spend on expectations, then is it not a crime when we do not care on the things which we possess at present? 


If you own a bicycle, enjoy it fully.. If it had put you under trouble when you are in a hurry, simply accept it. Because, once you were longing for that bicycle... Today just because it put you under trouble, you should not hate it & start expecting to own a scooter. Because the more you become luxurious, the more difficult when that luxury is not available to you at some moment. 


Expectations also leads to misery sometimes. A simple example - Two friends A & B live in an apartment complex. A is familiar with sleeping at night without Air Conditioner. But for B - without AC, he never slept and/or he can't...without AC...


Just imagine if one day that AC goes on repair & it will take a couple of days to service it. Will B be able to sleep well in night? Because luxury had made him inflexible and his body/mind doesn't accept any situation other than a predetermined one... If B had controlled his expectations long ago, by managing without ACs, he could manage such tough situations easily.


Being Simplicity is a Wealth... Lao Tzu says "
I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures."


Now you decide whether Expectations need to be controlled or not...Choice is yours...