When it comes to tolerating ambiguity,
Our expectations of people or situations play a key role in how well we can navigate gray areas.
Today's mindfulness session will focus on releasing some of these expectations.
This can help to reduce feelings of threat from uncertainty and to make space for new possibilities in situations where things are unknown or unclear.
To start,
Take some time to settle in.
Sit up straight,
Shimmy out any wiggles,
And get comfortable.
Feel the areas where you connect to the ground and let them feel heavy.
Let your eyes drift closed if that's comfortable for you,
Or you can even just let your gaze space out somewhere in front of you.
Check in with yourself.
Sometimes mindfulness can be uncomfortable,
Either mentally or physically,
So if at any point things feel too intense,
Just take a step back and go get any space or any help that you need.
Now take a deep breath in and a deep breath out,
And take a minute to just be,
Without thinking about the future or the past or any responsibilities and obligations.
Just sit and breathe in a way that's comfortable.
Expectations are all about the differences between the stories we tell ourselves about what's happening and what's actually happening.
We have this human tendency to analyze events or create stories around them.
Sometimes this gives us an illusion of security,
And we spend a lot of energy clinging to that.
But clinging to these stories can actually diminish our ability to navigate gray areas,
Because having such specific expectations actually limits the possibilities we can see when something is unknown or unclear.
We're misdirecting our energy toward what if,
Instead of leveraging it for what is.
To help offset this tendency,
We can think of ourselves as observers instead of storytellers.
Think about a time when a person or a situation disappointed you.
What were your expectations and the story you told yourself about what happened and what actually happened?
Try just to identify the facts without judgment instead of trying to explain them.
Now get ready for a nice,
Deep exhale on your next out breath.
Slowly breathe out the expectations you held and the story you told yourself.
Let them go.
Literally picture them leaving your body and just floating off into the sky.
You can even tell them goodbye as you see them floating away.
You might not get rid of everything all at once,
And that's okay.
The goal is to start to soften the grip these expectations have over you.
So finish your exhale as far as it will go,
Squeezing out those expectations as fully as you can.
And now get ready for a nice,
Deep inhale.
Breathe into the space you just created when you let go of the expectations that didn't serve you.
In this new space,
You release people or situations from the limitations of acting only how you expect them to.
And this can create all kinds of new possibilities to help you manage when things are unclear or unknown.
So inhale as far as you can,
Filling up this new space with fresh energy and potential,
And continue to practice this a few more times.
Breathe out the expectations you've created,
And breathe in the possibilities that can now occupy that space.
Breathe out what if,
And breathe in what is.
Now slowly start to come back to being present.
Feel the areas where you connect to the ground,
And open your eyes,
Or if you had them open already,
Focus your gaze.
And make some small movements like wiggling your toes to help wake up your body.
Your call to action from this session is to start noticing when you set expectations for yourself based on specific stories or outcomes.
Instead of spending your energy maintaining these expectations,
Try releasing them to make room for choosing where to direct your energy next.
And this can help you be much more effective at navigating uncertain or unclear circumstances.
Thanks for listening,
And we'll see you next time.
Music.
