Expectations

In my fourteen years of life, I have realized that expectations and assumptions are a big part of it. As humans, we - okay, I'll speak for myself - I have a tendency to create expectations for anything and everything. Some are based on facts or the opinions of others but most are not. Unfortunately for me, having so many expectations sets me up for disappointment because it is rare that things measure up or surpass the level I set for them. So are expectations a bad thing? A lot of people who have no expectations or goals in life, at least for themselves, don't get very far. So which is better - underachieving or opening yourself up to unnecessary disappointment when things just aren't what we thought they were? Probably neither. If we could find a spot in the middle, having goals for ourselves that allow us to achieve our "full potential" but allowing things to be what they are and not always comparing of setting standards for everything, then maybe we could save ourselves from a good bit of disappointment. The problem lies in finding the balance.