I’m so exited to be connecting with you after a few months of being off the grid! As you may or may not know, I am officially a new mom to a precious 9 week old baby girl, Vivian. And, although I am technically still on maternity leave, I just had to reach out and say hi ?? I’ve missed you!
As you can imagine, with a new baby sleeping in the next room, I’m writing this message on borrowed time so I’ll keep it brief. I have had many amazing teachers, guides and mentors in my life; all of whom have taught me invaluable lessons along the way. But just 9 weeks into this parenthood journey, I’m pretty sure Vivian is going to be my greatest teacher of all.
If you have ever worked with me privately or in a group setting, you’ve probably heard me say, “Any time we’re feeling ___________ (disappointed, frustrated, irritated, etc.) it’s almost always because we have been carrying around a set of expectations that have simply gone unmet.” And MAN, ain’t that the truth! Viv has certainly reminded me of this basic, but oh so critical fact more times than I can count already. Babies are the ultimate conduit for learning the essential skill of expectation management, and I’m so grateful to be forced to practice what I preach.
Although it is SO tempting to expect that each day with Vivian will get progressively more predictable (i.e., she slept so well last night, I’m sure she’ll sleep like a champ again tonight!) I have had to face the cold hard truth that holding onto any expectations about how my days (and nights) will unfold is a losing battle. (By the way, how many of you veteran parents are laughing at my naiveté right now?! ?)
I share this with you in hopes that you will take a moment to reflect on your life right now and consider where you may be holding on to unrealistic expectations that are keeping you stuck, frustrated or disappointed. How could you re-write your expectations to be more in alignment with the reality of your current experience in order to mitigate those feelings? How would your life improve if you let go of old expectations and firmly grasped onto intentionally crafted possibilities?
Think on it. Let me know how it goes. In the mean time, I’ll be over here with my baby girl, managing my own expectations and taking it one cherished minute at a time.