EXPECTATIONS PART TWO

 Many times, after I have written a blog, I am not finished processing the subject.  Truthfully, in many cases, I will never be finished processing.  There is not always a set answer written in granite on most subjects.  Depending upon the circumstance, there is always the chance of change---most of the time a little change--others--a huge flip flop.  The best thing I can say about that is I am not so old that I am not open to changing my mind.

Recently we discussed the expectations we have of others and how that can cloud our opinions.  When we place these expectations without clearly stating them to the one we have heaped them upon, we are asking for disappointment.  NOW--this and the Olympics have led me to mull over the expectations we place upon ourselves.  I watched the team gymnastics competition yesterday and came away pondering the huge expectations these young people place upon themselves.  I witnessed, tears, anger, and frustration when something did not go as planned.  A missed tumble, a step out of bounds, a momentary loss of balance--and years of practice and dedicating one's life to the perfection of the sport was dashed.  My question became---when these athletes return home--how will they handle not living up to the expectations they have placed upon themselves?  Will they walk away with resolve to "get it right the next time" or will they hang their head and walk away with dashed hopes and defeat?  Most of these athletes have learned how to brush off that defeat and aim for the next competition.  They know they are human and things happen--unintended---split second mishaps can cause the collapse of going for the gold to tucking your tail and going home to lick your wounds.  There is an entire discipline in psychology dedicated to the psychology of being an athlete. It teaches the mindset of brushing yourself off and heading to the next goal.  I admire and respect every athlete at these games--but the bitter truth is--there is only one gold medal and only one competitor wears it.  

The same can be said for us and the expectations we place upon ourselves as we live this life.  I found this~

and recognized how much truth there is in it.  From our very early days, our parents place expectations upon us.  We learn at their knees others have expectations of us.  We either are able to meet those expectations and hopefully receive a pat on the back or fail to live up to those expectations of others and walk away dejected to the point of no longer trying.

How do you handle it?  Life is filled with competition--intended and non-intended.  We begin as children on the playground to compete with one another and society places a high value on the "winners" in any and all struggles.  Be it racing on the playground, competing for high grades, getting in the best universities,  being hired by the big guns in the corporate world, we spend our lives competing at some level.  Where you live, how well your children do, what car you drive, and on and on---we have all come up with the level of achievement we would like to attain and the bare minimum of achievement we can get by with and still hold our head up.  I for one am my on worst enemy when it comes to personal expectations.  I vacillate between refusing to compete because I do not like the stress and silently competing knowing I will be bested.  

What happened to the adage of being satisfied with doing your best?  ALL of the athletes at the Olympics would surely love to take home the gold,  BUT they have to deal with the reality there is only one gold---and they did not win it and in fact--they did not make the podium.  Who is able then to KNOW they did their very best and be satisfied with the knowledge they made the Olympic team---CERTAINLY an extremely rare feat in the HUGE world we live in.  Who can walk away with their head high knowing they did their very best and that realistic expectations have been met?  

My last thought---others have expectations of us----we have expectations of ourselves---but God---He has only two expectations--but they are big ones.  That we love the Lord our God with ALL our 'hearts and minds and we love our neighbor as OURSELF.  As for me--and this point in my life---I am doing my very best to meet His expectations and finding great contentment in the sure knowledge--that is my very best.

"And you shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart 

and with all your soul

and with all your mind

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Mark 12:30-31