Expectations

EXPECTATION (n): the act or state of eager anticipation; to look forward to a certain occurence

This seems to be one of the emotions that alcoholic thinking thrives on. For us, it can be deadly. When we don't get what we expect, we do what we do best - drink or use mind-altering chemicals. It leads to:

intolerance, contempt, envy, hatred, discontent, self-pity, distrust, anxiety, suspicion
The Steps of AA show us how to rid ourselves of this deadly emotion. All it takes is a complete willingness to LET GO. How do we do this? Through prayer to the God of our understanding. Through a constant and conscious effort of thought and practice. It does not happen overnight, but our problems did not happen overnight either. For those without this deadly thinking, you will not understand how this emotion can rule our daily thought processes.

We must learn to frame our goals but leave the outcome to our Higher Power. When we attempt to control outcomes, we often end up on a barstool with unfulfilled expectations.