The Eight Steps
Remove Expectations

To avoid traveling though the Dark Side, a Jedi must see things for how they are. 

It is very easy to simply like or dislike something based on our own preconceptions. This means, however, that we are not seeing the truth in the reality we are experiencing.  Rather, we are experiencing things we already have experienced and assuming through association that this current experience is the same or nearly like it.  Either way, it means we are not seeing the NOW.

In doing this, we create false truths which can and often do create disruption when they are challenged.  These challenges can come from extra experiences which do not correspond to our view of what is happening; they can come from other people pointing out the differences; and they can come from feelings of doubt which well up from within our selves.

 This means understanding our own filters and attempting to remove them from the perceived reality.
To view any situation with hope or fear will cloud reality and thus keep us from being able to make clear assessments.  This is also true of our own expectations of the situation.  Filters come from everything we have within our minds.  This includes things we like, enjoy, fancy, to things we dislike, do not enjoy, and do not fancy.  It also includes previous experiences. If we put our hand on a stove and it doesn’t burn, we may not know it sometimes gets hot.  The opposite is also true. If a stove is hot when we touch it, we may not know it is sometimes cold.  It is from our experiences that filters are made.  To rely upon them in all situations means we close ourselves to new experiences and alternate views of the same experience – such as the variations of the stove.

 All expectations of a situation will impede the Jedi from being open to Force.

A Jedi must see things in their most basic form. Seeing the situation as it is, with an open and accommodating attitude, means we can do so outside of our own filters.

An example would be a coin toss. If we flip a coin in the air 57 times and it lands on the ‘heads’ side every time, we may come to believe that it will ALWAYS do so.  But, we cannot judge EVERY coin used in a toss by this measurement. If we approach every coin toss (with or without the one that lands heads up every time) with a sense that there are many possibilities, we will be prepared for something other than what our expectations may have created for us.

A Jedi will connect strongly to the Force, build a foundation of peace, and the develop ability of honest assessment by taking joy in a simple, straight-forward approach to a life and abandoning hope and fear.

Hope and fear stem from our filters which have been built on previous experiences.  To be more exact, they are the filters we use when we’ve not enough experiences from our own past or those we’ve accepted as reality from others.  If we do not know the outcome but think favorably of the outcome, we use a HOPE filter. If we do not think the outcome will be favorable and we do not have enough information to base an informed opinion, we will use a FEAR filter.

 How to spot an Expectation

Expectations are sometimes very easy to recognize.  We have an expectation to be treated without abuse by others.  We have an expectation that when we are speaking to someone they will listen.  We have an expectation that when we ask a question, a response follows.

 It is not to say these are reasonable or unreasonable expectations. To lay claim to such things is to put ones own personal view on the matter.

 Sometimes expectations are not so easy to recognize.  If we are surprised at any time, this is an excellent example of when we had an expectation we were not aware of.  Any time we can say, “I never expected that to happen” is another example of an expectation we were unaware of.

When we are angry, it is because an expectation we had was not met.  This can sometimes be misconstrued. An action performed by another is merely that: an action. It can be interpreted to be either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ depending on your point of view; Or in other words, your expectation of the outcome of the action.

 When we become angry, we lose the ability to see the whole picture around us. We then exist in a place where our focus is on our own feelings and desires and not on the situation at hand.

 Expectations are not necessarily ‘bad’

Having read this, it does say we must remove our expectations in order to see the world and reality as it truly is.  It is important to note, however, that being human means we cannot wholly remove our expectations.  This may not be a bad thing.  Our expectations allow us the ability to draw a line to say what is and is not acceptable.  The major point of this step is not to COMPLETELY remove expectations from our lives but rather to remove MOST expectations.  This is because the less we have, the more harmonious our lives will be. 

Keeping expectations is a lot like keeping explosives.  The more we have, the more chances there are of an accident.  But knowing this, and understanding that there are responsibilities in keeping them can minimize the risk of explosion.  Also, if we become angry, knowing it is our expectations and NOT the actions of others puts the ability to be happy and/or harmonious again within our abilities.  It tells us that our feelings are our own and that we are the masters of them.

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