Expectations are powerful. They can drive us to reach a goal or dream by creating a picture for what the end result might feel or look like. Expectations can also sabotage the very things we dream of or desire. Unspoken expectations can leave others wondering what they missed, clueless to why someone is reacting negatively towards them. The picture (end result) we are expecting may be unrealistic and leave us disappointed.

The common component of both views of expectations is the end result in unknown … only dreamed of, expected to occur. This unknown can leave one filled with anticipation or anxiety. Just as expectations can be powerful so is the choice we make in response to the unknown.

Most people have expectations regarding their wellness without even thinking about it. We expect to wake up, to breathe, to eat and get on with the stuff of life. The realization of having any expectations for our health often doesn’t occur until our bodies or minds don’t work the way we expect them to.

Jonathan Lockwood Huie reminds us that “wonderful gifts may not be wrapped as we expect.” Most of us can think of an unexpected event that impacted our expectation of what was supposed to happen. Maybe it was a sick child calling from school, a pounding headache before an important meeting, a diagnosis that requires adaptation in daily living … what was your response?

Choosing to hold our expectations loosely and offering ourselves and others grace when the desired result is altered provides an approach that not only promotes personal wellness but can inspire others to evaluate their own expectations … allowing each of to see the “wonderful gift that may not be wrapped as we expected.”