SOMEBODY once said that if you expect people to have the same heart as yours, then you'd end up extremely hurt and disappointed. People won't love you the same way you love them. Just because you put so much value in them doesn't mean they would value you back. That is the truth and you have to deal with it no matter how much is stings. Expectation, in my opinion, is the root of all disappointments. You get hurt when your friends can't return the same favor you gave them which is completely wrong. If you truly love someone, you wouldn't expect something in return. You would simply love just because your heart is capable of giving so much of it.

I know someone who is very passionate with his love for his friends. He would always make them happy in his own little ways. He's always been there for them through good and bad times. He tried to understand their attitudes and learned to embrace even their negative sides as much as he could. But he didn't feel the same way with his friends. He has faced a lot of hard times without his friends. They've been too busy to deal with his dramas and he had no choice but to keep his inner struggles to himself. These inner struggles made him become a different person. When he became a different person from what he used to be, they found him unpleasant and hard to deal with. He was extremely disappointed because he expected them to be there for him and understand him. But what happened was the total opposite.

On the other hand, I also know someone who has put so much pressure in herself. She came from a family of academic achievers. She didn't want to disappoint her family and put them to shame. She wanted to be like her siblings and cousins who got good grades, graduated with flying colors and were able to land a good job and successful careers. She gave more than one hundred percent effort and studied harder than her peers. She even forgot about living her life and exploring new things because she was just too focused on being the person she wants to be. But her efforts weren't enough for her to secure the top spot during the graduation. Well, she was the second best. Still not the best and that was not enough for her. She got extremely disppointed on how things turned out despite her diligence and burning passion to succeed.

It is okay to work hard and to have some certain expectations you'd like to meet. But you have to know your limit. You have to be prepared for the possibilities. You can't always meet your expectations because of a lot of factors and some unfortunate circumstances. It's normal to feel bad if things failed to fall according to your plans but don't dwell on it too much. That's life. It's unexpected and a lot of things can happen that only the God knows. Who knows, after your failures, better things will come to make up for all your unfulfilled expectations.

So, expect less and just hope for the best.

Trust God's plan. He has perfectly drafted your life already. Let Him guide you.

Photos are from Pixabay