It’s currently popular on social media to share memes that say something to th effect of, “Don’t expect anything and you’ll be grateful for whatever life sends your way!” I am taking issue with this sentiment.
If all you want to do is drift through life rolling with each bump and curve on the landscape, a “no expectations” outlook may be fine. No. Scratch that. Have you ever tried to drive with your eyes focused right where your hood ends and the road begins? Everything that your wheels encounter startles you. You’re not looking ahead to anticipate the traffic and potholes you will encounter in the next minutes. No one drives that way! So why would anyone live their life that way?!
No. Living with no expectations is reckless and foolish. You’re not increasing your capacity to be grateful…you’re preventing yourself from appreciating the big picture by creating artificial short-sighted surprises.
So shake off the false-feel-good memes and self-imposed artificially-induced gratefulness. If we want to leave the world a better place than we found it, we need to raise the bar higher than our current footing. There’s no pleasant surprise getting caught back on our heels.
All this having been said, here are my expectations for the coming academic year:
- I care.
- I live my life with passion.
- I embrace positive energy.
- I make this world a better place.
- I give my best and expect as much in return.
- I grow personally and professionally over time.
- I live reflectively, thoughtfully, and deliberately with intention.
- I touch the lives of others in ways that make a good difference.
- I consciously choose who I keep in my life and who I cannot keep.
- I give 100% in everything I do.
- I am patient with myself.
- I do not live with regret.
- I don’t make excuses.
- I don’t settle for less.
Will there be letdowns? Of course. Disappointment is just the difference between where I’ve set the bar and where I find my footing. It’s a good thing…a gut check that helps me reassess and aspire to do better. It’s not based on what anyone else does…it’s defined by me and the standards to which I hold myself. If I’m never disappointed, I’m not setting the bar high enough for myself.
How about you? Are you willing to settle? Are you headed into the new school year willing to kid yourself and accept an existence that is void of your true potential? Do you want to spend another year getting up, looking in the mirror, and forcing yourself to smile because you’d rather pretend “as-if” instead of facing reality “as-is”? You’re not just kidding yourself…your impacting everyone around you…and precious time continues to pass. How many Septembers have you seen already? Set high expectations for the Septembers you have left…beginning this week...keep your eye on the horizon...and make a difference in your life and the world around you!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment