"Several weeks ago I felt pretty overwhelmed but could not figure out why. Then I heard a list of the everyday expectations we place on ourselves:
- Be slim, physically fit, and toned.
- Have great hair, make-up, and a fashionable wardrobe.
- Be intelligent articulate, and computer-savvy.
- Be popular and sexually attractive but of good character.
- Pursue all your gifts and talents to the point of mastery.
- Marry someone with all the above traits.
- Communicate, have romance, share chores, have date nights.
- Have a beautiful home, which is clean, organized, and well-decorated.
- Cook low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, gourmet meals.
- Maintain a beautiful, mulched yard,
- Produce children who are cute, healthy, intelligent, and well-behaved, who get into the right schools, who don’t succumb to peer pressure but are well-liked and popular.
- Be financially successful.
- Stay current in your field.
- Read good books for pleasure.
- Be confident but not abrasive.
- Be humble and spiritual.
- Create traditions and holidays that are beautiful and meaningful.
- Write letters, remember birthdays and anniversaries, send cards and gifts.
- Keep in touch with friends.
- Have deep family relationships.
- Be relaxed, friendly, and easy-going.
I'll be the 1st to admit there are a few more things on my list - one being running. It would go like this "Be a great runner" To me being 'great' is running 8ish min miles for a continuous amount of time. Yes I can get there with time and practice and patience but its hard work ontop of all the other expectations.
I'm attempting to trim down my list. It is hard, especially for women in my opinion. Whats the first thing I'm trimming thats relevant to me? I'm not sure at the moment, I've just sat here for 15 minutes trying to figure out what to say and I'm just drawing a blank. So I'll have to get back to ya.
What do you think? Are there more expectations that you put onyourself that aren't on the list?
Will you 'trim down' your list?
hi there thanks for sharing! I know what you mean about expectations and how they can be overwhelming! And I definitely struggle with most of those.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I try to remember not to compare my own successes (or lack thereof) to others and that helps me!
Wow what an interesting list! I have to agree -- while I would LOVE to live this life, something HAS to go. For me, I focus on health, family, and friends. I focus on overall happiness. If my life perfect? Definitely not, but I like the direction I am headed! My expectations are that I'm NEVER going to fulfill all of those things!
ReplyDeleteI think that we tend to lose sight of our lives and try to BE our parents -- except that it took our parents YEARS to get there.
Great post - thanks for sharing :)
Margs - love your comment on not comparing - it's definitely hard in personal life but is definitely a great thing to try to do on a daily basis :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle - ive never thought of it that way - I know I'm guilty of wanting to BE my parents/ in-laws and forgetting that it's taken them years to get where they are....
Thanks for re comments
That list is amazing, because I've had all of those thoughts, & we really can't do it all. All of the time. It's just not possible.
ReplyDeleteInstead, we can do our best all of the time, which may or may not always yield those results.
I am really happy with my life, but I try & have perspective and remember that there will be times I screw things up, & times that I succeed. I have little expectations of myself as a runner, which is for the best, because I'm *slow* :-)