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ARE "EXPECTATIONS PREMEDITATED RESENTMENTS?"

Sat, 01/09/2010 - 9:52am — Webmaster

NA has demonized certain words (expectations, resentments, judgments) and give them new meanings. Expectation means to hope for; to look forward to. And the word hope means a person or thing in which expecatations are center. Interesting the crossover. In NA we say that "Expectations are premeditated resentments." But are they? I expect a meeting will provide some experience, strength and hope. I hope that a meeting will provide some experience, strength and hope.
I expect things will get better; I hope that things will get better; I have faith that they will.
Anyone else have anything to say about expectations?

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Sat, 01/09/2010 - 9:05pm — EricB12970

I expect

I expect that NA will continue to grow and move forward. That I hope for as well. With the new memebrs and the older mebers, I believe this can happen

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 8:09pm — PhilA

Expectations, resentments and judgements

I think NA is right on about expectations, resentments, judgments.
Having expectations is projecting onto reality and will always lead to disappointment. "I hope that a meeting will provide some experience, strength and hope." I have no such expectation of meetings, and thus can never be disappointed. If I expected it to "provide some experience, strength and hope," I assure you it would NEVER match my expectations.

Resentments come from expecting people to be a certain way and judgement follows.

I'll stick with the program and try to stay in the here and now. When I do I have a great day.

No expectations, no resentments or judgements; Peace.

NA will grow or it won't. What will be will be.

I do have a few expectations.

I believe what Philophers say are the greatest quotes of all time. They lead to healthy perspectives.

Budha said "Life is hard." Accept that and it gets easiler. Expect life to be easy and it will always be hard. The program teaches this in the steps and other lit.

Jesus said, "The Kingdom of god is within you." Can't blame the gods or the devil or your parents anymore. YOU are respnsible for the consequences in your life. The great truth also. Personal responsibility is what the program teaches.

Albert Camus said, "the human condition is that we are born, we suffer and we die." Accept that and you come to making the suffering have meaning. The meetings do that for me. The sharing of suffering lessons it the NA lit says.

I am so grateful to have the NA program.

Thu, 01/14/2010 - 4:10pm — Webmaster

excellent thoughts

Thanks for those words of wisdom.

I wish more folks would find and use this Forum. These commentaries are helping me. Especially when they are topics I've posted to help me in my recovery.

I expect certain things in life, like the sun will set and the moon will rise. I expect life to be hard, frustrating and I expect the uncertainties. I can deal with that. When my expectations involve people in any way or manner, then I've got to deal with resentments. I wish it were not so. But wishing is like expectation, it still calls for the intervention of the Creator or the unknown.

Fri, 01/15/2010 - 9:11pm — desertfrog

Expectations lead to resentments

I find that when I expect too much from other people I am setting myself up for disappointment. The other program taught me along time ago that the higher my expectations are the lower my serenity is. There is too much that this program has to offer me and any other addict that there should be no reason to get caught up in expecting others to act and think the way we do. I say that we should just keep in mind that expectations lead to resentments and personally I do not have time to try to form someone into me. I enjoy living a somewhat serene life and therefore I try not to expect too much from people.