some channeling on expectations
For the past year or so, I've been studying the teachings of a disembodied entity named Michael, a name assigned to a group of 1050 souls on the Causal plane. One of the Michael channels recently posted this wonderful piece about expectations in response to a question. Since I wrote a short post about assumptions vs. expectations a couple months ago, I thought this was appropriate. My comments are below the quotation.
Michael as channeled by Troy Trolley
Question: Could you suggest exercises or information that would aid with the ability to let go of expectation(s)?
[Michael Entity] Yes: to allow yourself the freedom of expectations. This is the only means you have for learning to navigate your expectations. To "let go" of expectation is about as useful as giving up your legs; yes, it can be done, but mobility is not enhanced by doing so.
Embracing your expectations is to embrace your inner map. However, the expectations that are often felt to be so compelling are simply not the truth of that inner map. To allow the embrace of those expectations can often then reveal the truth of this, and allow for more appropriate desires to lead the way.
Expectation is neutral. Your ability to use the tool of expectation is a spectrum. There is a negative form of expectation and a positive form. To expect that the sun will rise can be seen to be quite natural. To expect a loved one to conform to your ideals is quite another end of the spectrum. In this case, it could then be said that TRUST is the positive pole of Expectation and DEMAND is the negative pole. To demand that the sun rise as you will it in the middle of the night is as fruitless as forcing upon another your ideals. To trust that your loved one can find his or her own path of expression and truth despite your ideals is as beautiful an expectation as one that allows the sun to rise on its own.
If there is pain involved in your experience of expectation, it is quite likely that it is in the realm of DEMANDS. In this case, one must do the work of exploring WHY one would have such demands and then allow room for a shift of attention. In most cases of DEMAND, or painful expectation, one is in a self-karmic cycle of punishment, either upon the self or upon another. There is a perpetual investment in the Demand until there is vindication. To understand that this is a cycle of punishment will often allow room for the true inner map to be found and a new peaceful navigation to be found.
Click here for the full channeling.
Expectation is a word with a lot of negative connotations in new age teachings, and frankly Michael's answer "allow yourself the freedom of expectations" is surprising but makes total sense. We put a lot of expectations on ourselves and others, and then expect ourselves to let go of those expectations. The suggestion I really appreciate from this channeling -- if we find ourselves in the negative pole of Demand, we don't need to try and remove Expectation altogether. Just move toward Trust.
Actually, now that I think about it, Trust feels a lot like "letting go" in practice -- in order to trust you have to let go of your demands on someone or something. In a way this is just semantics, different ways of explaining the energies of love and fear, expansion and contraction. But as humans we sometimes get stuck on the language, and different explanations do reveal a broader picture.
