No Expectations

Let Go… and suddenly you are finding freedom in every new moment.

Sri Yukteswar said, “I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be in opposition to wishes of mine.”… Whew. THAT’s a tall order for us lowly, unenlightened ones, eh? I believe, herein lies the key to ALL successful and peaceful cohabitation with fellow human beings. When you really think about it, you have to consider the question: what is the root cause of any struggling relationship? Yes, expectations. Expecting others to be… what… well, like US? I think pretty much, since this is all we really know. And, this calls to mind another quote: “We don’t see people as THEY are, we see them as WE are.” We can only see through the eyes of our own histories, usually leaving others to fall short of ideas of what WE consider right or wrong, good or bad, acceptable or not. Then who suffers? BOTH parties. One person is left feeling judged or inadequate and the other, steeped in disappointment. By dropping expectations, dropping the history that shades our beliefs, by coming to each moment for exactly what it is, a “new” moment, unlike any other that has come before it, there can be no disappointment, or as Sri Yuketeswar says “no opposition to wishes”. This is a constant, second to second, moment to moment, hour to hour, day to day (well you get the idea) discipline in awareness.

So, the next time you find yourself disappointed in someone, check your responsibility and the part you may be playing to perpetuate that emotion… I’ll bet somewhere in there you’ll find it has something to do with expectations - and within this new awareness you will find the capacity to let it go!

Sat Nam!