Expectations.

I don't know about you, but I rarely have a time when I'm not "in my head". Whether it's thinking about what I've just done, what I need to be doing, how other people might feel about what I just said, or even what's for dinner.... there are always thoughts going on. One of my favorite things to think about over and over (I'm slightly joking) is wrestling the divide between my expectations and embracing reality.

The division between my personal expectations and being okay with how reality is in my life has ways been deep. It's not to say that I don't feel happy, because I would consider myself a pretty contented person... but unrealistic expectations will drive me crazy. I'm not sure how it happened, but I have theories regarding that perfectionistic side of me. It's funny at times to hear clients say to me "that's exactly how I feel... it's like you've been there". It's also the point at which I tell myself not to take over their therapy session. :) Often, I find that the best thing to do in these situations is to slow down. Sometimes it actually involves saying "SLOW DOWN" in my head, followed by some deep breathing exercises.

Over time it gets easier. Slowing down. Embracing positive and negative emotions. Feeling balanced. But if you're in the thick of unrealistic expectations, know that I feel ya. Something that helps me to let go of expectations is to not keep things bottled up. It's as if all the eggs are in one basket, and if they don't go well, everything is smashed.... when in reality, perhaps every egg should have a basket. It's about balance and awareness and having healthy boundaries and knowing yourself.