Trade Outer Expectations for Dreams…Is Your Heart Artificial?
People have had expectations for you before you were even born.
When your parents got married they more than likely thought about the children that they would one day have, and what would become of them (you!) once they were off and running on their own. Teachers expected you to turn your homework in on time and in a readable fashion. Your basketball coach expected you to make 85% of your free throws and not look down when you dribbled the ball. Your piano teacher actually expected you to practice at home, on your own, at least 30 minutes a day. Your dad expected you not to speed. Your mom expected you to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Your professors expected you to show up to class. Your parents expected…a lot! Your boss expected you to do your job and not do on-line “research” all day long, three days a week. Your wife expected you to organize her walk-in closet. Your children expected you to help them with their math homework…
…and on it goes. Expectations are rampant. It seems like everyone expects something of you.
All expectations from outside sources are not bad. In fact, many of them are great. They inspire us and push us towards success and higher ground because they are many times naturally aligned with our own expectations. A bit of expectant pressure is good.
The challenge comes when dealing with expectations that are not in-line with who it is that we are or who it is that we want to become. Some people will expect you to become something that you don’t want to become. Don’t give into the pressure. These forceful expectations are life changers, and if you’re not willing to change to fit their mold…don’t! Communicate to everyone, through everything that you say and do, who it is that you expect to be and become. The most important thing is to become more informed about what expectations you have for yourself. What do you expect from you? These inner expectations are called dreams. My advice is to never exchange your inward, passionate expectations for the expectations of others. Does this mean that you don’t re-organize your wife’s walk-in closet? Of course not! It just means that you have to line the “chore” up with your own inward expectation. For example, the expectation that today I will be a great husband. However, expectations that others have that go against the grain of your own passions and expectations are harmful to you if you decide to go with them and not your heart. They cause resentment and breakdown in communication. Ponder others expectations as well as your own and then make a choice based on how the two parallel or do not parallel.
Your heart is not artificial; follow it! It already knows what you really want to do and become anyhow. Give it a chance to lead you.
