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A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you really are with what you have.
Assuming nothing is one of the hardest habits we need to break if we are to live a good life. When we assume things to happen or reactions from people, we fall prey to the gruelling pain of frustration and disappointment. As soon as our envisioned life crumbles, our self-esteem becomes vulnerable.
Having no expectations takes a brain rewiring, but it’s essentially beneficial to various aspects of our lives, including our relationships and inner peace. Based from the Psychology Today article of Robert Taibibi L.C.S.W., letting go of expectations give 5 life-enhancing benefits: making us solely responsible for our decisions, separating our wants from shoulds, helping us avoid negative feelings, preventing us from becoming a martyr, and enabling us to live in the present. When we live without expectations, we get to be authentic and more accepting of life as it is.
Life does become so much easier without the burden of expectations. In the absence of shoulds, good things fall into place as we start focusing on the present and appreciating what we have. This makes us smile easier, laugh harder, and dream bigger. Living without expectations also takes away the pain of rejection and failure, and replaces it with courage and optimism.
To quote Ramakrishna: “To work without attachment is to work without the expectation or reward or fear of any punishment in world or the next. Work so done is a means to the end, and God is the end.”
