We've all had those days, right? You wake up in the morning with zero expectations from anyone and then suddenly someone gives you their word. A word represents a promise, a vow, or a commitment they chose to provide you with. Whether it's a promise to make more time for you or a promise to buy you something in the future.
You get all excited and happy over these promises, and your heart starts beating from that promise made but what happens when those promises aren't met? When you didn't get the proposal you thought they wanted to give you? When you don't get the car your parents promised you on your birthday? When you don't get the promotion your boss told you would next year? When the plans you depended on get canceled out of nowhere? What happens then?
It's sad having all those promises broken but what's worse is that you're not the one who made that promise in the first place. When you hold your end of a bargain and all of a sudden you find out that whatever was promised to you is not going to be delivered. How much do we trust people to follow through on their word? Do we need some sort of deposit from others to ensure that their word is kept?
Do we blame them for not delivering the promise? or do you blame them for making it in the first place because it was so much easier not having your expectations set so high on it in the first place?
The truth is, a word is meaningless without the action provided to support it, you should never believe a word anyone says unless you see it done. Trust that every word a person says to you is a word thrown in the air and if that person does not run to catch it for you then it is just gone with the wind.
In reality, our expectations from others are what bond us together. We expect people to commit to things whether it's plans, appointments, or things.
Imagine booking a consultation with a doctor and going to it as planned only to find out the doctor is not going to show up to help you with what you needed. You put in the effort of leaving your house because you expected this doctor to help you with something they promised they can fix. Wouldn't it have been much easier for you just to know that the doctor wasn't going to be able to make it? or that he or she was not going to be able to provide you with what you wanted to fix so that you can look elsewhere?
It is so much easier to live in a world with no expectations, a world where you are self-reliant and don't need anything or expect anything from anyone because you follow through on your own promises and that is enough for you. But the truth is, you're bound to get yourself an unkept promise every once in a while, the question is, what do we do when that happens? Do we just not trust anyone anymore? That will only create trust issues with everyone. Do we rage and rant toward the people who don't keep their promises? That won't guarantee you get your promise done. The big question is, how does one react to broken promises?
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