The Burden of Expectations

Having expectations is natural, almost unavoidable.

But expectations can also come with a heavy burden,

Because with expectation comes inevitable disappointment, the disappointment of not having your expectations met.

It’s a reality of the lived human experience, a reality that everyone must come to accept.

A burden we need to be willing to live with – if we actually want to live at all.

The alternative, well the alternative is not having any expectations at all

And this comes with its own pitfalls.

Because no expectations, means not having any strong convictions about anything.

Having nothing there to drive you forward

Nothing important enough to pursue or protect.

Nothing to aim at

Nothing to measure up to

Nothing that holds both yourself and others to account.

Without any expectation, how will you ever know if you fall a little short?

It’s not to always dwell in this space, but rather using it as a point of reference

Although you may come to expect things of others, and that’s OK

It’s also important to realize that your role, first and foremost, is to expect things of yourself 

Because the fact remains, that you’ve got to expect things of yourself before you can do them.