Expectations.
This word keeps popping up in the past month.
A friend shared that "When you have no expectations of someone, you will be happier". Another friend who is struggling with a relationship feels that it is because of her unfair expectations of the other party. Recently, also had to deal with a friend's expectations that bordered on the unreasonable. In a friend's "scan" for me, the word expectations also came up.
It is impossible to have no expectations of oneself, another person or a situation. As a close friend reminded me; if you desire to have no expectations, that's an expectation too isn't it? :)
What's possible is for us to have useful expectations. My own definition of that would be having expectations that are (1) reasonable, (2) positive, (3) can be fulfilled and (4) propels us forward rather then cause us to be caught in a negative spiral of self-blame or pain.