RE: Path to Freedom by Charlie Shrem - Rational Thinking
Such a fantastic post. Thank you Charlie. This is powerful:
Yesterday the owner of my gym said "Hey man, I didn't know you were the Charlie Shrem, thanks for your crusade for personal liberty". That always hits me like a brick when someone recognizes me. It used to fuel my ego and pride but now it just makes me want to give everyone a hug.
I often think about the role of expectations in creating our frustrations. They are often either unspoken and unmet or spoken and still unmet.
Person 1:
"I'm frustrated because you didn't meet my expectations!"
Person 2:
A1: "I would love to, but you didn't communicate them to me in a way I can understand. Can we try again? Let me repeat back what I think you expect from me."
A2: "In this case, I cared more about myself than meeting your needs. I don't want to do that, I'm so sorry, and I need your help to change. Let's work on an action plan for the next 30 days."
A3: "I tried and tried, but your expectations are beyond my ability and may even be irrational. Can we work to reset your expectations and meet in the middle?"
Those are just some of the ways we can get around it. As with many things, it comes down to good communication and self-awareness. Do we accurately communicate our expectations? Are our expectations rational?