Life Unfolds According to Our Expectations - Lois Well

Life unfolds according to our expectations, not the ones we think we have, but the ones we actually have, which are often quite different. Expectations are formed in infancy and are related to how others respond to us.  As babies we sense small cues like the narrowing of the eyes and change in tone of voice.  We pick up the mood of adults.  If our parents rejoice when we discover something new, we keep exploring.  If they are too busy, tired or depressed, we become discouraged.  If we learned to expect angry reproaches when we showed initiative as children, that is what we will inherit.

©  Future Generations Journal, 1999 # 28.  Reprinted with permission.

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