You want it so badly
You feel it in your bones
In your belly
In your heart
And in your soul

Your deepest desires,
They are right there
You can feel them so close
But you often wonder where

How can you reach them
What do you need
How are you hopeful
Without carrying too much greed

You become the archer
With arrows of expectation to project
You have a vision for your life
And goals you want to protect

But those arrows
They point
And they shoot

And when they land
They arrive to disappointment

Because when you hold expectations
There is room for error
There is room for mistake

And those arrows,
They may seem strong and steady
As you load them into that bow
But as they launch
They will miss

Not because of your pursuits
But because that target is in the hands of others
It’s constantly on the move
And you feel like you have everything to lose

It’s those expectations that will kill your joy
It’s those expectations that make you feel sorrow
It’s those expectations that will make you feel annoyed

You simply cannot hold both
You cannot manifest
While gripping onto expectation
That will only lead to greater stress

So how can you shift
Rather than one set target
Shoot for the abundance of stars

Knowing that you are the archer
And regardless of your aim
You get to cast the arrows of manifestation
Into the sky without shame

You see
The target isn’t what matters
It’s not about the end result
It’s not about the letdown and setback
The victory and triumph

It’s about the journey
It’s about hoping for more while being content with less
Knowing that you are abundant
And there is no reason to stress

It will all work out
Even when the path seems unclear
It will all be glorious
But you first have to let go of fear

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I’ve been working on a project lately that fell through. It was pretty heartbreaking and something that I’ve been dreaming of. It stung. While taking some time to process and digest it all, I did some reflection on why it hurt so badly. I realized that my expectations were quite high, leading me to greater despair. So then, I spent time trying to better understand manifestation compared to expectations. It’s a really fine line that can be difficult to process. While manifesting, we focus on inviting energy that embodies something that we desire. While holding expectations, we’re believing that something specific may occur, even if it’s out of our control.

Of course, there are some expectations that will just happen. You expect your partner to treat you well, you expect to go to the store and be safe, and you expect your family to wake up tomorrow. There are things in life that just happen. However, when we turn ourselves on autopilot, we remove ourselves from being in the present moment because of expectations. This can lead to greater trauma when something hard happens, debilitating our ability to process and reflect.

So, where is the line between manifestation and expectations?

The balance between the two is very difficult. So, how can you manifest without creating expectations? Expectations create this idea that something will come out of nothing. As if you have a right or privilege to said thing. Though there may be some sense of deserving, setting expectations will result in the idea that you don’t necessarily have to work towards your desires. And, even if you do work towards it, it creates resentment if/when it doesn’t work out perfectly. This results in disappointment because imperfections are inevitable.

Manifestation carries this idea of action vs reaction. What efforts are you putting forward towards your goals and what is the reaction when they don’t turn out? Disappointment is natural, but are you able and willing to pivot and shift? When manifestation is at the forefront of your being, it’s easier to adjust when things fall through because you hold the energy of success rather than an expectation of one final result. Manifestation brings out the idea that we are worthy and capable of goodness while simultaneously knowing that there are a lot of varying factors that play into the outcome. This leads to more joy when accomplishment ensues and less letdown when it doesn’t.

Don’t quit daydreaming

Let’s be real, it’s really hard to not have expectations. I was really hopeful about this project I was working on and put a lot of expectations in the result. It’s hard not to be, I know. I’m guilty of it too. It’s important to not give up hope. Daydreaming isn’t bad. Having high standards and goals isn’t bad. The struggle occurs when you place the expectation on things outside of your control. This project I was working on consisted of a huge puzzle that had a plethora of moving parts and pieces that had to fix together for it to work. I would say about 85% of it was entirely out of my control. The manifestation comes in by recognizing that even though it didn’t work out this time, doesn’t mean it can’t work out in the future. It’s holding on to the idea that it’s all still possible and therefore that 15% that is in my control and I should continue to take action on it. This allows me to take hold of my actions and turn my desires into reality, to the best of my ability.

Don’t quit your daydream. This is what keeps us inspired and motivated in this life. Expectations aren’t always bad however, it’s important to be mindful of how they are impacting our view on life and other people rather than being in the here and now and manifesting the best outcome while still living in reality. Your dreams matter more than you even know. Don’t let your expectations get in the way of making them your reality. Expectations will continue to set you back while manifestation will show you that there are so many paths to take to get you where you need to be. You got this. Don’t let the setbacks and letdowns diminish your vision of this life.