Michael

You will never be happier than you expect. To change your happiness, change your expectation. – Bette Davis

The expectation you have of your own level of happiness is a powerful influence. There may be other indicators, but this one is big. If your expectation is that you will not be happy, you are starting from a place that almost completely precludes you from being happy. At the very least, with that negative expectation, you would not reach a high level of happiness nor one you deserve.

What’s interesting to me is that we hide these negative expectations in a variety of ways. Sometimes we blame others or things that happen. We also tend to look too much at what is currently going on in our lives and extrapolate that bad experience into the future. Going to work seems to bring many negative expectations. Bad relationships, lack of money and physical problems round up the other, most popular excuses used in negative expectations.

The good news is that true happiness is state of being completely within our minds. It really doesn’t have to do with anything else. We have the power to change and control what we are thinking. Therefore our expectations are directly related to what thoughts are swirling around our minds.

I have found that I get what I expect. It can be surprising at times. I expect a lot from people at my job. I expect to have good things come my way. I expect to be happy throughout the day so much so, that I spontaneously smile.

Learn to control or change your expectations and watch you level of happiness increase.

Michael