“Expectations should not always be taken as reality; because you never know when you will be disappointed” – Samuel P. Huntington.

Relationships are a wonderful thing, but nowadays people have conjured a very romanticized and ideal view of relationships in their head. These ideas are so ideal that we aren’t able to deal with the reality that lies in front of us. We all have expectations from our significant other, but with time these expectations have not only risen but also have led to a feeling of dissatisfaction and unrest in relationships.

Expectations that exceed our reality and do not match up to our partner’s thoughts, personality and habits can lead to differences in the relationship. The expectation that or partner fulfil all our wishes and feelings every time may not be very realistic, but adjusting to certain changes and understanding each other would be the key to happiness.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN EXPECTATIONS AND REALITY:
  1. Listen to and understand each other: When it comes to expectations from one another in a relationship, it is important to understand that a couple needs to talk to each other, make the other aware of their expectations and come to a compromise as to how to deal with and fulfil each other’s expectations.
  2. Talk about it: The key to bridging the gap between one’s expectations and reality is to talk about your feelings, wants and concerns and work towards it.
  3. Work on the expectations together: Working as a team to fulfilling each other’s expectations is the need of the hour.
  4. Spend quality time together: Sometimes, it is more imperative to spend quality time with each other rather than just focusing on each other’s expectations.
  5. Seek professional help: It is important to understand that at times it can be difficult to listen and understand each other, in such cases it would be helpful to seek professional help. Seeking the help of a Psychiatrist or Psychologist would help you understand and work on the issues with the help of counselling.
“When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are” – Donald Miller.