expectations

hey -

there’s a quote from one of my go-to shows, modern family:

“the most amazing things that can happen to a human being will happen to you, if you just lower your expectations.”

the quote came from the character phil dunphy, a guy who relentlessly stays optimistic and bright on any given day. a very wise, curious dude.

the higher our expectations, the more likely we’ll be disappointed.

the lower our expectations, the more likely we’ll be satisfied.

here’s a model i made to ease understanding:

the yellow bar symbolizes the ‘goalpost’ we need to reach in order to be happy/satisfied/surprised with the experience. the expectation.

the red bar symbolizes…….there’s nothing else to it it’s the experience.

point is, when we expect a lot, we’ll be dissatisfied when those expectations aren’t met.

it’s universally applicable:

relationships, social events, friendships, new hobbies. anything.

if you expect to get 5 numbers by the end of the night, you’ll be disappointed

but if you expect to just have a conversation with someone else, you’ll probably be more satisfied with yourself.

lower your sights a little bit, and just enjoy yourself.

keep in mind, expectations are not standards. i’ll get into that in a future post.

don’t let your expectations stop you from enjoying a moment that could otherwise be great if you allow it to be.

see you then.

• Ethan