How Acceptance Is Prerequisite to Happiness Delineating expectations versus wants

by Nate Owens

Too many of us are caught in a false notion that if only such-and-such were so and so-and-so was such, then all would be well in the world. The reality is that this is not how life works. We don’t get to choose what we want most of the time — and that’s a horrible fact if you frame your wants as expectations.

Expectations versus Wants

Most people I’ve met in my career confuse wants with expectations. It’s OK to ‘want’ something: a promotion, a piece of Neapolitan ice cream cake (put it in my face hole NOW!!), that dog to stop barking, whatever… It’s natural to want. Where we run into problems is when we start expecting things……………………..

The language you use to describe your circumstances determines how you see, experience, and participate in them. It dramatically affects how you deal with your life and confront big and small problems.― Gary John Bishop