Have you ever taken a few minutes to think about your expectations -- expectations about life, the people around you, and yourself?
Here’s why we ask. Because on a recent episode of “The Best Advice Show,” a guest and podcast host shared a brilliant tip involving expectations. Sarah May B., from the podcast “Help Me Be Me,” -- which is a self-help show for people who hate self-help, as she described -- talked about this favorite tool that she uses on a daily basis, in fact, probably multiple times daily: Expect the opposite.
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It’s a way to manually reset your expectations to open up room for something else to come forth, as Sarah May B. explained.
“Once you realize your own role in the creation of your day-to-day experience -- like, specifically, your expectations of the world and others, and what’s going to happen -- it’s like a magic trick,” she said. “Because you can alter it. I had no idea how much of my life I was actually creating, just via what I expected to have happen.”
In case that’s a little too abstract for you, listen to the episode, below. It’s only 3 minutes, 50 seconds long.
She goes on to put it in more specific terms: For example, let’s say you have a disagreement at work. Maybe your integrity feels threatened or someone insults you. Your body in that moment likely goes into a defense, case-building mode. You’re probably saying to yourself, “This is bad,” or “Things are bad. This person thinks this or people think that.”
Sarah May B. says in the moment you’re feeling all of that negative energy, close your eyes and mentally say to yourself the opposite. Maybe this is actually a good thing. Maybe this argument will make your situation at work better.
Even if you don’t believe this possibility in the moment, just know that it is possible. And just by suggesting this possibility to yourself, it unlocks the potential.
“It’s like a secret portal in a video game,” Sarah May B said.
Listen as she talks podcast host Zak Rosen through an example.
Rosen, by the way, wants to hear from you next.
To contribute some of your advice, drop him a voicemail at 844-935-BEST. Leave your name and your tip, followed by your email address in case he has any follow-up questions.
It can be deep or not-so-deep. Rosen has a “Food Fridays” feature in which he’d love to feature your cooking advice.
He’s not so much interested in platitudes and truisms, but instead, looking for the specific, odd, uplifting, effective, real advice from you about how you make it through your days.
“The Best Advice Show” is a product of Graham Media Group. Download it wherever you listen to or access podcasts.