Wanting vs. Expecting We tend to get the best from ourselves when we have positive expectations. While the essential concept is ageless, it was research in the 1960s that demonstrated through experiments the power of expectations in swaying behavior. In a classic experiment, teachers were told that certain randomly chosen children were smart. On average, those children performed better in the classroom and on standardized intelligence tests. In the medical field, lack of positive expectation is sometimes called the nocebo (no placebo) effect. Patients with low expectations for medical help tend to have poorer outcomes than patients that expect success. In the ‘60s Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, noticed that patients often had expectations that were not satisfied despite excellent results. He discovered the underlying problem was that a person's outer success can’t rise above the one visualized internally. The findings were popularized in Dr. Maltz’s landmark self- help book, “Psycho-Cybernetics.” Today, many of the psychological methods used for training elite athletes are based on Dr. Maltz’s research. An industry of self-help speakers and self- help books soon followed. Over the years, each generation has rediscovered and retold the underlying story to an increasingly diverse audience in a wide variety of self-help books, seminars and videos. Perhaps you’re wondering, “What do expectations have to do with a Saturday morning walk?” Well, very little unless your alarm clock and your expectations synchronize. Should that happen, you can expect a delightful morning walk. For the most enjoyable walk - coat, hat and gloves are recommended. Nancy Neighbors, MD How to Cultivate Positive Expectations Awareness is the key to cultivating positive expectations. It’s easy to fall into the habit of fearing the worst. While it’s important to be prepared for things that can go wrong, there needs to be a balance. A warning sign is when our negative expectations dominate. The key is to emphasize positive expectations that can lead to positive outcomes rather than negative expectations that lead to negative outcomes. Negative expectations have a way of creeping in unexpectedly. With practice you will begin to notice how slyly they can masquerade as important ideas. In the midst of replaying a negative expectation it can be challenging to pull away. When you catch a negative thought it helps to laugh at it as if to say, “Did you really expect to catch me off guard again?” After you've recognized the intrusion of a negative expectation and laughed it away, begin expecting something you want. At first you may need a list of positive expectations to reflect on. Just keep reminding yourself to expect what you want and ignore thoughts about expectations of what you don’t want. Practice makes perfect. Keep reinforcing your positive expectations. The key is to cultivate a habit of positive expectations. Library Resources The Huntsville Madison County Public Library (hmcpl.org) is an excellent resource for learning more about how to cultivate the habit of positive expectations. The library includes a wide assortment of traditional books, books on CD and downloadable eBooks. Relevant titles you may find useful and interesting include: "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey "The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer For more titles to choose from enter the keyword “self-help” or “positive thinking” in the search box at the top of the hmcpl.org web site’s home page. TEDxTalks Experts often present ideas about positive living at TEDxTalk events. To view one of the TEDxTalks talks listed below click here. • "The New Era of Positive Psychology" • "Flow, the secret to happiness" • "The Surprising Science of Happiness" • "The Happy Secret to Better Work" • "The Key to Success? Grit" • "Playful Inquiry- Try This Anywhere" • "The Paradox of Choice" • "The Optimism Bias" • "The Happy Planet Index" • "The Psychology of Time" • "Measuring what makes life worthwhile" |