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How letting go of expectations opens to life’s many possibilities

As we walk through this wonderful journey of life, we live through various stages of maturity and levels of growth. 
In these times, society -and maybe even the entire world- has written a list of “expectations” from us to abide by to reach what is believed to be the ultimate goal in life, success. 
What does success mean, though? 
As I sit here, I ponder the endless possibilities we can all have if we let go of the one thing you are trained to acquire 
since learning to walk, expectations. 
Expectations! What a word that is. 
you are expected to do certain things and be a certain way to achieve -fill in the blanks- by a certain time because society has implanted that if you don’t, you are not worthy (of what?) 
or will never be successful (in what?). 

One thing that 2020 has taught us all is to 
let go of expectations and live life in the present moment. 
If you apply this concept to the rest of your lives, the possibilities will be endless. 
After all, all the happiness and success live within the scope of your mind/heart and you can acquire them at any time. 
Don’t get me wrong, expectations can also be a good thing. 
They are the propeller to move us forward. 
The disappointment happens when we expect others to fill our void, to fix our problems, or to bring us joy and to complete us. 
the truth is YOU already have and are all these!

The expectation that for your path to be successful, to have a particular look or be can cause us great anger and disappointment if they aren’t realized. 

These kinds of expectations are an attempt to grab hold of the future, to reduce surprises - the universe if full of beautiful ones- and feel as though we have some semblance of control when in fact, we don’t.
 
The idea that there is only one path to your goal is lucrative! 
There are endless paths to your dreams and goals; 
you can walk any of them and are allowed to change direction at any time as your heart guides you.

So, how do you let go of these barriers we call expectations?

I like to think of awareness as being the first step in connecting to a deeper feeling of freedom. Being aware of what is holding you back and letting go. Spend time with yourself and write down all that you feel is not letting you move forward on your path. 
What if I don’t know what is holding me back? You might ask.
Your intuition is your greatest power. 
Use it during and it will bring you the clarity you need. 

Mindfulness is second because as you hold on to expectations living in the future is a thing you are too familiar with. 

Staying in the present and being mindful of what is happening every moment, focusing on one thing at a time is how you give your full attention and devote your energy to the here and now.

This, I believe, is to truly make the best of each moment and to live fully- without allowing the mind to project into the future of being stuck in the past. 

Do you follow a spiritual practice? 
The last step to connect to a deep feeling of freedom is to follow a spiritual path. This is not about religion or believing in a certain thing or someone. 
Spending time with yourself writing in your journal can be a spiritual practice if you choose it to be. 
This concept is about being fully present and letting go of all that is holding you back. 
Whether it’s yoga, a meditation practice, praying, or taking a serene walk, these are all things that bring you to realize the power of your mind and how happiness has lived within you all along. 


Let’s remember that the ultimate goal of life, after all, is to fulfill our dharma- duty - complete our karma -actions- share love, compassion, kindness and reconnect to source.  

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