Happy Sunday!
“Do well where you are, that’s all there is.” ~ Sadhguru

For a few months now I have been mindful of how difficult expectations are to work through.  I am not a person who needs to speak a lot but I’ve noticed that when something turns out different from what I expected I have a reaction to push against it – in the past this involved a lot of nonsense words coming from my mouth.
I am grateful that I am more aware today and can catch myself, most times, from letting my mouth speak the words my mind says but I still feel disturbed by things not going the way I expected.
So how do I let that go?  Like everything, I need to understand it better.
I found a video wherein Sadhguru was asked “How do I deal with unfulfilled expectations?” His response was not to create them.  In the video he pointed out that we can only do what we can do so instead of creating expectations of what should happen we should just put our focus on improving the effectiveness of the mind and body, in this way our physical self is ready to take action.
I trust what Sadhguru is saying as I know him to be a great master.  It helps my understanding that in his lessons he always relates his message to nature as an example; he points out that other creatures just do what they can do to be what they are meant to be.
I understand his message but I feel a conflict between his saying not to create expectations and Abraham teaching that Law of Attraction works based on our desires.
Are expectations and desires different?
I watched a recently posted lecture on Youtube by Michael Singer about Mindfulness.  It was terrific.  One of the questions asked by a student was about Wayne Dyer teaching about the power of intention (LOA) and how that relates to mindfulness.  Mickey said he was supportive of all teachings but for him the only intention he held was to be mindful.
As I initially reflected on resolving what Sadhguru said about ‘doing what you can do’ when an experience happens with LOA saying to ‘launch your desires’ I considered that LOA was perhaps more about the means to create the material things that are wanted.  LOA teaches that it just takes positive high vibration to bring about whatever is desired.  Most of the examples I thought of as I remembered testimonies from Abraham sessions were of material things. (In my own life though I see being created connection, understanding, validation, and Love; the things I seek.)
I brought this subject up at lunch.  I used the words expectation when speaking of Sadhguru’s teaching and desire when speaking of Abraham.  B. pointed out to me that expectation and desire have very different feelings when you consider the words.  I recognized that this was true, when I think about my expectations I react with judgement when they don’t play out as expected. With desire, there is more consideration and patience for the things I desire to play out in their own time in their own way.
I think that expectations are of the head and desires are of the heart.
Expectations are the results of the play of our mind.  When I watched the video of Mickey speaking on mindfulness, one of the realizations I took away was of his description of our mind being the collection of our past experiences.  Our minds are like computers holding great databases of our experiences and knowledge.  As Mickey taught, we use them to continually process scenarios in which we will be OK if things don’t remind us of our past hurts.  I think of my mind now as just a big problem solving computer – unfortunately it is also the place that the problems are created.  (This is where mindfulness is necessary to monitor what the mind takes on to process.)
I understand now that expectations are manufactured by my mind as it plays out my future and how things should be ‘just so’ for me to be comfortable.  I don’t want the mind to create expectations for me anymore.  I have Faith that I am capable to handle future experiences as I must – that I will do what I can do as an experience arises.  And, my expanding awareness and continued seeking of understanding tells me that I am doing what Sadhguru says we should – to expand my mind and body to do what it can.
I also found that Law of Attraction fits into this lesson.  Abraham says that desire is the driving force of creation.  As I said, true desire comes from the heart; we can’t help to want what we want.  LOA also says to then release expectation.  We are to focus on things that make us happy to keep our vibration high, only then can the Universe manifest the thing we desire.  It does not take energy or effort from the mind, body, or personality.  And, if we push against things to aid in the manifesting of our desire we will block it. (What you resist persists.)
Another thing just came to mind regarding expectation versus desire.
In expectation it is about a future experience that our mind has created for things to play out just as we want.  We are trying to control the experience so that life will be as we expect it with little change or discomfort.
Desires from the heart, that we can’t help but long for, many times when they are realized they can change everything about our understanding of life and ourselves.  Funny how the Universe places those desires in our heart to shake us up and change the illusion of who we think we are.
Namaste’
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34