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What Do You Expect from Yourself?
Being mindful of what you expect from yourself will help you find positivity and balance.
It is really easy to get caught up in trying to live up to what you think others expect of you.
Let’s face it — at the beginning of our lives, that’s what occupies much of our time. Lots of people have expectations of us. This included our parents, grandparents, other family members, teachers, friends, and so forth. Well-meaning or otherwise, most kids are frequently working to meet the expectations of others.
As you get older and reach college or start work full-time, this begins to shift. Now there are more adult expectations. Expectations of teachers and parents, still, but now you add roommates, coworkers, lovers, and others. The expectations have changed but are still there.
When you are constantly working to please numerous others, in one form or another, it’s easy to neglect yourself. In many instances, the things you did for yourself as a child likely got labeled as selfish.
Let’s be honest — some of the things you wanted as a kid likely WERE selfish. I know a lot of kids, and even the best of them can demand selfishly from time to time. Unfortunately, the line between selfish and self-actualization in kids is super blurry.