In Others’ Words: Two Ways to Be Happy

I shared with a friend this week how my emotional margin is depleted and how, at the same time, I’m pushing to meet some self-imposed goals.

She listened. This friend always listens.

And then she spoke some much-needed truth to me.

About how my circumstances probably weren’t going to change right now. And that maybe, instead of pushing against the circumstances, I should consider changing my expectations. (And yes, I’m paraphrasing here.) 

I forced myself — yes, forced myself — to sit and listen to her. I resisted my first reaction to insist, “No. I need to do this .. and this … and this.”

Doing all that would only deplete my emotional margin even more.

By waiting and listening, I heard my friend ask, “Maybe you can accept that God has something different for you during this time than what you had planned?”

And that was the best part of the truth.

With those words, life wasn’t tripped up by what I wasn’t getting accomplished. It became about what good thing I would miss out on — what God-thing I would miss out on — if I didn’t let go of my expectations, my demands, for today, and tomorrow, and the next day.

Changing my attitude, my approach to life, didn’t mean I lowered my expectations. But I did relax my grip on them. Refused to strangle the life and breath out of them with “shoulds” and “musts.”

And you know what? I’m happier for it.

In Others’ Words: What do you need to do today to be a bit happier: improve your reality or lower your expectations?

In Others' Words: Two Ways to be Happy http://bit.ly/2K3SqkH #quotes #expectations
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'There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality, or lower your expectations.' Quote by @jodipicoult http://bit.ly/2K3SqkH #reality #expectations
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