Expectation… such a great and powerful word. Most of us want our expectations not only fulfilled but exceeded. And why not? After all, don’t I have the right to expect what I want, how I want it, when I want it, and in the precise manner I want it?

Sure you do! In fact, we all do! The problem comes in when you try to impose your expectations – great and otherwise – on someone else. Your boyfriend, your partner, or your husband, for instance. Here’s where you begin wading in murky waters.

While you can share your hopes, dreams, and desires with another, you can’t force them into obedient compliance. Okay, well you can if you’re running the military program in your relationship!

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Attachment is the cause of all suffering! Wow, that’s a powerful statement, but what does it really mean? After all, aren’t we supposed to develop attachments to people, situations, and things while we’re here?

Well, at first, you may think the answer is yes. When it comes to relationships, you probably believe that attachment is even necessary. It seems to be the very glue that keeps you together.

But that’s the point! Glue – whether physical or not – shouldn’t be what’s holding you in place. Glue creates a sticky mess, often needs reapplying, and it makes you feel stuck.

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Do you feel that you don’t always get the respect you believe you deserve in your relationships? Do you feel that you’re truly not being valued for who you are or what you actually contribute to your partnership? Do you simply feel that you’re being patronized at times by your guy, as if you are a child, and he wants to make sure you’re treated accordingly?

I don’t know any women, personally or professionally, including myself, that can’t answer in the affirmative to these questions. In other words, we all have felt underrated, devalued, and disrespected at times.

But why is this so common? Do we really want to feel bad as a result of the words or actions of someone else? Not likely – unless you’re just masochistic and you’re seeking ill treatment to justify how bad you feel about yourself.

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