Browse
Top articles
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Try free for 7 days.
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
00:00
00:00
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about expectations. So in daily life, it's totally natural and really useful to have a certain amount of expectation. You know, when we're meeting a friend for lunch, we expect them to turn up at the agreed upon time, or waiting for our train, we anticipate it will be there at least roughly when we expect it to arrive and that's completely reasonable and really useful. But a problem does arise when our expectations become really rigid and inflexible.
When that's the case, we can become very, very easily irritated, disappointed, and frustration any time things don't go the way we thought they would. This is a recipe for unnecessary suffering. For instance, really simple example. Just imagine that your partner pretty much always comes home from work at 6:00 PM. And one day you decide to make a special dinner for them.
But this particular day, they decided to catch up with a friend after work and they don't come home until 8:00 PM. If you stay fixed to your expectations of what you thought would happen, your plans, you might end up really irritated, disappointed, or even angry. But if you simply acknowledge things didn't go the way you thought they would, then you can just go with the flow. You might even be delighted to enjoy your nice meal and some time to yourself that night. Your experience of that evening can be completely different, either quite negative or quite enjoyable, depending on if you can let go of expectations.
So a lot of the time we also have unconscious expectations that we get really attached to. For instance, we expect people to behave roughly the way they always do. We expect things to go the way we plan them to. We have expectations about being able to do our usual routines. And so a lot of the time when they change, we feel really put out.
So of course, as I said, while it's really helpful to have an idea of where you're going, mindfulness actually really invites us not to form rigid ideas about how things should go, how things should be. Instead, the invitation is to meet whatever arises in the present moment with openness and acceptance, rather than really needing it to conform to our desires. In the words of Bruce Lee, we want to be like water, to be fluid and light on our feet, adapting to things as they arrive in the moment and kind of flowing with the current of things. So this is the invitation for practice today and ongoing going, to be like water. Of course, keep making plans and following your path, but also letting go of your action expectations so that you can make room on your journey for the surprises, the pivots and all the twists and turns.
As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And inviting you now to settle in for today's meditation.
"Be Like Water"
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about expectations. So in daily life, it's totally natural and really useful to have a certain amount of expectation. You know, when we're meeting a friend for lunch, we expect them to turn up at the agreed upon time, or waiting for our train, we anticipate it will be there at least roughly when we expect it to arrive and that's completely reasonable and really useful. But a problem does arise when our expectations become really rigid and inflexible.
When that's the case, we can become very, very easily irritated, disappointed, and frustration any time things don't go the way we thought they would. This is a recipe for unnecessary suffering. For instance, really simple example. Just imagine that your partner pretty much always comes home from work at 6:00 PM. And one day you decide to make a special dinner for them.
But this particular day, they decided to catch up with a friend after work and they don't come home until 8:00 PM. If you stay fixed to your expectations of what you thought would happen, your plans, you might end up really irritated, disappointed, or even angry. But if you simply acknowledge things didn't go the way you thought they would, then you can just go with the flow. You might even be delighted to enjoy your nice meal and some time to yourself that night. Your experience of that evening can be completely different, either quite negative or quite enjoyable, depending on if you can let go of expectations.
So a lot of the time we also have unconscious expectations that we get really attached to. For instance, we expect people to behave roughly the way they always do. We expect things to go the way we plan them to. We have expectations about being able to do our usual routines. And so a lot of the time when they change, we feel really put out.
So of course, as I said, while it's really helpful to have an idea of where you're going, mindfulness actually really invites us not to form rigid ideas about how things should go, how things should be. Instead, the invitation is to meet whatever arises in the present moment with openness and acceptance, rather than really needing it to conform to our desires. In the words of Bruce Lee, we want to be like water, to be fluid and light on our feet, adapting to things as they arrive in the moment and kind of flowing with the current of things. So this is the invitation for practice today and ongoing going, to be like water. Of course, keep making plans and following your path, but also letting go of your action expectations so that you can make room on your journey for the surprises, the pivots and all the twists and turns.
As always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And inviting you now to settle in for today's meditation.
Duration
Play in-app
Scan the following QR code with your camera app to open it on our mobile app
Get Unlimited Access
A Mindfulness Plus+ subscription gives you unlimited access to a world of premium mindfulness content.
Email Missing
We couldn’t detect your email with the SSO provider you have selected.We are here to make a positive impact on the world. We never want to sell you something that hasn’t helped you live a better life. That’s why if you’re unhappy with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to get a full refund and your money back.
If you subscribed to Mindfulness Plus+ and are unhappy with your purchase, please get in contact with us within the 30-day period and we’ll refund your purchase.
Learn more about our Mindfulness Guarantee.
Mindfulness
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Private Browsing
We believe in a world where everybody has access to the life-changing skills of mindfulness.
Annual membership
$0
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Thank you for joining us
Dive into the full library and enjoy all it has to offer!
Claim your free access
Create a mindfulness account and we’ll unlock this premium session in your account forever.
7-Days free trial, cancel anytime.
Complete a few quick questions to make your own personalized mindfulness plan.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Sign up or login to your mindfulness account to proceed.
Mindfulness
One membership to gain access to a world of premium mindfulness content created to help you live happier and stress less.