Lowered Expectations?

I heard once that a lot of unhappiness in our lives is caused not by the realities of our situations, but instead by things not reaching our expectations. I find this to be true with myself, and I've tried to adjust...unsuccessfully.

First things first...when I say 'adjust', I most certainly DO NOT mean that I need to lower my expectations. I mean, they need to be 'modified' to fit reality. It is completely unrealistic to expect the people I work with to do things 'right' in the way I think they should be done. This doesn't mean that I should expect less...just that I shouldn't get nearly as frustrated when I don't get it. I can explain what I find lacking and try to change it, but everyone has different ideals about how things should go. And I need to realize that it's not MY company...I just work there. If I were in charge, I could have a bigger hand in how things work. Jumping up on my soapbox and getting frustrated when they aren't listening isn't going to get it done.

Same goes for other aspects of my life. I can't expect Selma Hayek to walk into my life...nor would I want her to, because I imagine the reality is not at all the same as the fantasy. I have been very fortunate with relationships...although none, obviously, have lasted as long as I expected them to, I have dated some very beautiful, amazing women. None of them just fell in my lap, though, and I can't expect to have them start doing so now. Everyone is looking for something. Some people have found it, some people haven't, and for most I ain't got it. Or, they haven't seen it in me yet...that's my fault for not showing it. But getting frustrated about it isn't going to do any good.

I've said this last week or so has been shit. That's still true...bought a replacement lightbulb for the main one in the house that burnt out last week, rigged up a makeshift (read - dangerous) ladder, climbed up there and found out it was too big to fit with the globe over top it. Sigh. That's what I get for trying to be energy conscious. Just another little thing to add to the list of little things. My expectations were that it would fit. The reality was that it didn't. Annoying, yes. But in the grand scheme of things, a little bump in the road. The best friend to realistic expectations has to be perspective. Two skills that I need to work on. And I am.