I was on the phone with some girlfriends the other day, and we were chatting about the pressures and expectations we put on ourself on top of the pressures and expectations others have of us, as well.
I was saying that a a fellow acquaintance of mine had these specific expectations of me and I felt so much pressure to do what she had expected.
My friend said, "Just because she has that expectation of you, doesn't mean that you have to have that expectation of yourself."
Insert mind blown emoji.... lol
It was such a simple statement, but right on point.
So often we already have these crazy expectations of ourselves, and then we stack on top of that the expectations of others. We wonder why we walk around so stressed, compromising our peace for pace (read this blog) and stressed to the max.
If you are like me, I am a bit of a people pleaser. I have a very hard time saying no, or prioritising my own peace, needs, and to dos over what others ask of me... but reality is that we just simply cannot do it all. For me, I've got my own set of things going on and expectations for myself, add Suzy Q's expectations, plus Jane Doe's expectations, it starts to be so overwhelming that I just want to crawl in a hole and hibernate and cry for months. I feel like I end up letting myself, Suzy Q, and Jane Doe down. If we can learn to be honest with ourself, and others. Learn how to say no when our plates are truly full, I believe that our lives will become more peaceful and manageable.
What do you think? What are ways that you manage your expectations and those around you?
XOXO,
Mak