Hello and welcome to today's practice of noticing expectations.
Today we will recognize different expectations we have about ourselves.
We will build awareness of the emotions that arise,
Allow these emotions to be present,
And ask ourselves what direction we need to take.
To begin,
Find a comfortable place where you can focus for a few minutes.
Take a deep breath to center yourself.
Now,
Bring to focus an expectation that you have of yourself.
You may struggle to identify one,
Or you may have many pop up in your mind.
Observe what you experience here.
Now,
Pick one of these expectations to focus on.
Observe thoughts that arise,
Such as,
This is a totally reasonable expectation.
I have to or I should do this expectation.
I am responsible for this expectation.
Now,
Acknowledge the normalcy of your brain creating these expectations.
Maybe your brain is trying to help or protect,
Or ensure stability,
Certainty,
Or avoid mistakes.
Perhaps your thoughts are focused on judgments and criticisms,
Or a failure to meet your expectations.
Thoughts might arise like,
You should have done better.
You'll never be good enough.
Gently note those thoughts.
Next,
Observe emotions that arise for you.
Do you feel frustrated,
Irritated,
Or angry?
Sad?
Hopeless?
You may have other emotions that come up.
Acknowledge these feelings for a moment.
Now,
Note the action urges that come from these thoughts and emotions.
Maybe you're feeling an urge to approach the expectation and tackle it,
Or maybe you're having an urge to avoid it.
Sometimes,
Urges to blame yourself or others come up.
Now that you've made room for feelings of discomfort,
Consider what is the best action for your expectations.
There may be something you can do to create change,
Or you may need to accept these expectations without change.
Acknowledge the parts of you that wishes for things to be different,
Easier,
Less challenging,
And commit yourself to either change or acceptance.
Closing today's practice,
Thank yourself for showing up,
Feeling,
Thinking,
And growing.
Thank you for joining me today.
Closing today's practice,
Thank yourself for showing up,
Feeling,
Thinking,
And growing.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes and bring yourself back to the room.
