It’s to be expected; it’s a given.

There is a lot of frustration lately. It is helpful to remind ourselves that many of the frustrations we face are completely normal, predictable and to be expected. This allows us to not be so thrown off by them and gives us wisdom and restraint. Some common examples would be, “In a democracy, it’s to be expected that roughly 50% of time your preferred political party will not be in power,” or “It’s expected that not everyone is going to like us,” or “There will be conflict.” If you’re a teacher, it’s to be expected that a percentage of parents is going to be difficult or not fully functional. In the workplace, there will be some poor decisions made by upper management that are out of your control that negatively impact you. If you’re a building inspector, it’s expected there will be some conflict as some people will not want to do what you’re requiring. Not everyone will be happy to see you. Not all of us can be flower deliverers who only brighten people’s day.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that this is the profession we’ve chosen. We have to take the good with the bad. If you’re self-employed, it’s to be expected that a part of your day will have to be allocated towards marketing. If you’re in a marriage, it’s expected there will be times when you feel like you can’t stand your spouse. If you have kids, it’s expected that there will be times when they test you and drive you nuts. The possibilities are endless with this, and you can think of many on your own. The bottom line is, pain in life is inevitable or expected, but misery is optional.