“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
- Mark Twain
Our imaginations can be powerful catalysts to how our life unfolds. The science of how it all works is compelling, but still elusive. It can be difficult to imagine our imaginations being so powerful. If we were always aware of this fact, it would make sense that we would do our best to refrain from playing out so many worst case scenarios in our head and dreading the worst possible outcome. We should want to be mindful of the power of our imaginations and play out more favorable scenarios in our minds eye.
It can become even tougher when we start looking for examples in our reality to validate our dreaded expectations and worst fears. It's almost as if we would rather prove ourselves right about what we expect to go wrong, rather than prove ourselves wrong when things go much better than we expected. We can become our own worst enemy when we get sucked into taking on negative outlooks and expectations of how our lives will unfold. Perhaps it relates to not wanting to set ourselves up for disappointment, but how satisfying is it to reach negative expectations? That seems counterintuitive.
When we are able to focus on creating more favorable outcomes in our life, we give ourselves more confidence and courage to make those outcomes transpire. Our expectations, whether negative or positive, are like an order we place with the Universe. We may not always get what we expect, but we increase the likelihood of getting what we want out of life when we pay more attention to what we want than what we don't want. The Law of Attraction works both ways. We get what we invite into our lives, both positive and negative. It starts with our thoughts and expectations.
What kind of expectations have you recently been having about your future? Are you expecting more favorable or unfavorable outcomes? If we get more of what we expect, it makes sense to keep it on the positive side. Of course, it helps to manage our expectations and keep them reasonable, but we should always be focusing on more favorable outcomes if that's what we want to show up in our lives. It can be easier said than done at times, but it's possible to keep focusing on the good and expecting better for ourselves so we can create a better future.
More Wellness!
Psychology Today: The Psychology of Expectations
Make Me Better: The Power of Positive Expectations
Colossal Thoughts: Pygmalion Effect: The Impact of Positive Expectations
