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When chasing a major goal it is easy to get to the frustration point of wanting to give up. A year ago I wanted to throw in the towel.
I was talking with my wife about the prospect of stopping this blog saying, “How long do I keep doing this without getting the results I want?”
She patiently listened and told me, “That’s a great question.” She did not give me an answer, just merely allowed me to wallow for a minute. I take full advantage of my wallowing opportunities. It’s like a secret ninja skill of mine. She knows me well enough that I will get out of my funk with just a little time. I tend to react very strong like a bungee cord jumper with emotions, plummeting way down and then come back to level on both positive and negative things. Days are either the worst days or the best days ever.
In the state I was in, it all comes down to the difference between hope and expectation.
Do you know the difference between hope and expectation?
When we put on hope, we have energy, fuel, and passion. However, when we put on expectations, we annoy our spouse with our sob story. Expectations operate by a set of rules and timelines in our minds that we totally make up.
We put on expectations with goals, people, and life in general. When things don’t match what we have in our heads, we get upset. What a robber of peace expectations can be.
Expectations will kill your dreams if you are not careful and make you miserable to be around.
Expectations will kill relationships, businesses, and your desire to do anything. Expectations for me are usually unrealistic and give me zero accountability; it’s always someone else that is at fault. My expectations move and change and are always out of reach with reality.
Hope brings life, but expectations bring death and destruction.
Hope leads to faith which is the precursor to action. Hope is the foundation to true life change. Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Hope doesn’t have an expiration point. Hope doesn’t hold others hostage. Hope doesn’t quit; only expectations do those things.
It is a fine line between hope and having expectations. The true test is whether you are feeling energized and empowered or discouraged and ready to give up. God is in hope and our flesh is in expectations. One leads to life and the other death. Choose life.
Be aware of what you are allowing to stay in your mind and heart. Are you holding onto negative emotions, having a good pity party? Holding bitterness and the past is a sure fire sign that you are living on past expectations.
Instead of bitterness, try gratitude. Gratitude often ignites hope. A simple exercise that helps me is writing down what I am thankful for daily. Make it small or large, but do it daily. You will begin to focus on hope instead of the expectations that were unmet.
Unmet expectations kill hope for the future. So choose hope this week. Choose life as you head in the directions of your dream. Choose to keep God first place and hope will abide. Pick up hope early and often, and when expectations start to creep in acknowledge them, however, turn back to hope. Be blessed on your journey.
Are you hopeful?
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This post was previously published on zechariahnewman.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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