Gratitude, Expectations, and Ray Wylie
Gratitude, Expectations, and Ray Wylie
Gratitude, Expectations, and Ray Wylie
In one of my favorite lyrics, musician Ray Wylie Hubbard (@RayWylie) says, “The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, those are good days.” I think it goes without saying that gratitude is an amazing “happiness strategy”. Check out this post to read more. Expectations, on the other hand, get us in trouble. The expectations we have of ourselves and others are one of the quickest ways to get frustrated and disappointed.
I have found that we get frustrated when people don’t meet our expectations when, in reality, most of the time we haven’t even clearly communicated what our expectations are. Think about the last time you were frustrated with or disappointed in someone. Chances are, it was because your expectations weren’t met. Did you clearly communicate them?
“The days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days.”
I once had a friend who said he was never disappointed because he always kept low expectations. I think Ray Wylie Hubbard is on to something. This holiday season, don’t forget to keep your gratitude higher than your expectations.
I’m curious to know if you’ve found this to be true. Leave a comment here or join us on Facebook to share!
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We can take back control of our energy, but FIRST, we have to be aware that we are running on fumes. Here are five subtle signs to look for before you burn out:
1️⃣ You Feel Snappy, Judgy, or Overly Critical (Even Over Dumb Stuff)
2️⃣ You’re Drowning in Decision Fatigue
3️⃣ You Feel Guilty for Resting (So You Never Fully Do)
4️⃣ You’re Scrolling to Numb, Not Connect
5️⃣ You Keep Thinking: ‘Once I get through this week…’
If even one of these sounded familiar, that’s your sign. You don’t need to wait for burnout to make a change. This is your permission slip to pause, reset, and breathe. 🎥
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Have you ever had to schmooze at a networking event? You find yourself in some awkward situation, fumbling around for the right words when you land on “How are you?” or “What do you do?” Two of the most boring, uninspiring, uninteresting questions in the world.
Fortunately, there is a conversation starter that works better, is way more interesting, and makes you more memorable. This question is so powerful that it activates the pleasure center of the brain.
Here’s the question: “Working on anything exciting lately?”
That simple conversation starter makes people light up and feel good. And the best part? When they leave the conversation, they connect you with that good feeling.
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A couple of fun facts about gratitude:
🙏 Just looking for something to be grateful for drops cortisol by 23%.
🙏 A gratitude practice trains your brain to search for and find more good stuff.
🙏 Gratitude improves mood, memory, focus, immune function, and heart health.
What will you look for this week? #mindfulmonday
Overthinking is just self-doubt pretending to be productive. Give yourself permission to take a nap.
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When you get your property appraisal, remember that the folks you call aren’t the ones raising your taxes. Be kind, be patient, and remember that we are all doing our best.
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Anne Grady is a Speaker, Author, and #TruthBomb Dropper.
Anne shares practical strategies that can be applied both personally and professionally to improve relationships, navigate change, and triumph over adversity. And she’ll make you laugh while she does it. Anne is a two time TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. magazines, CNN, ESPN, and FOX Business. She is the best selling author of 3 books. Her newest, Mind Over Moment: Harness the Power of Resilience, is available on Amazon now.
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Happy Monday Anne! I feel like you read through me. I am so guilty of setting high expectations, then get frustrated. Thank you for the tips. You are awesome! Have a great week! 🙂
Thanks, Juanita 🙂 You’re pretty awesome too!
I also have been accused of setting high expectations. With 4 children at home and a department of 40 at work, communicating my expectations is a constant effort. Thank you for the post.
Hi Gayla,
Sounds like you’re got your hands full at home and work. Keep up the great work!
I don’t know if I agree with this… Sometimes, having low expectations leads to self-fullfilling prophecies in our lives and in the lives of those that we have low expectations for… I would much rather learn to be err on the side of having my expectations TOO HIGH and learn to appreciate whatever the reality turns out to be than to have my expectations TOO LOW and risk setting someone up for being less than their true potential. (Aim for the moon… Even if you miss, you still land in the stars!)
Very good point, Michelle! I don’t mean that you should have low expectations or your self and/or others, only that you communicate what your expectations are so that everyone is clear. I think when people disappoint us or fail to meet our expectations, it’s not that they are too high, just that we haven’t communicated what they are in the first place 🙂
One of the Four Noble Truths at the heart of Buddhism states that the root of all suffering is desire. Once I figured out that “desire” means expectations, that whole philosophy suddenly made a lot more sense to me and provides a useful perspective — life is not ideal, and events, things, people (you name it) frequently fail to live up to our expectations. So maybe we shouldn’t sweat it. 🙂
It definitely helps to figure out what you want and articulate it, and it’s even better to look for unexpected blessings.
Amen, Rachel!