“You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.” ~ Stevie Wonder
Some people live their lives in total disregard of the expectations of others, while others base their entire sense of self-worth, purpose and meaning on how well they feel they are living up to the expectations of others. My concern this morning is to address the Golden Mean, which lies between the two extremes.
The fact that others have expectations of you means that you are still alive. Even the most introverted, isolated person on earth is expected to be, think and act in a certain way. Only the deceased are free (in most cases) of expectation.
The fact that you have high expectations for yourself means that you have not lost the lust for life. Expectations fuel movement, in one direction or another, depending on your inclination. If you tend to cut and run when the stakes are raised, the additional power provided by the fuel of expectation will move you in that direction all the more quickly. If, on the other hand, you have developed a habit of rising up to the challenge inherent in expectation, then you will appreciate the impulsion provided by genuine, high expectations of your own and from others.
High expectations tend to come from two sources: the first, from those who want a piece of you for selfish reasons and the second, from those who are genuinely concerned with your fulfillment. You cannot be fulfilled if you wall yourself off from the expectations of others and hide your light in the corner. Your fulfillment comes as you work to assist others to theirs and in so doing your light will shine brightly, illuminating the path ahead for you and for others.
You are wise to discern between the two sources of high expectation, as Pinocchio learned in his dealings with Stromboli and the Blue Fairy. A thinking man cannot be duped into the servitude of other’s unrighteous expectations. Moreover, a true thinker loves to be in service of those genuinely concerned with his fulfillment.
Living up to genuine high expectations is one of the most fulfilling of life’s pleasures. It is the basis of mutually assured progress. Your life can give expression to the law of eternal progress and your function vis-a-vis the framework of expectations in which you operate will propel you, one way or the other.
The direction in which you move is up to you!
Gregory Hake 
Just wanted to say I have consistently enjoyed your graphics (and your posts).
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As always thanks for the brilliant, upbeat posts. This one really brightened my day!
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I really enjoyed this consideration. This is great!
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Great overview and analysis of expectation of yourself and others!
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How true. Trying to live your life by only others expectations is akin to not having your own sense of self. What am I here to do? What is it that compels me to keep going? What is the bedrock of my purpose?
That said, sometimes others have expected more from me then I did for myself and it was a game changer. It made me succeed at things I might not have even tried.
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I hadn’t thought about expectations like this before. It has been very fulfilling in the past to reach a goal that I have had, and that has
also has been expected of me by someone I respect. As far as someone that expects something of me for a selfish reason, I look at it this way: sometimes you go along with it, and sometimes you don’t. As long as you keep your integrity, and think carefully about why you’re doing what you’re doing, you’ll be ok. On the other side of the coin, it is also very fulfilling to see someone reach their goal that you have helped out and had an expectation that they would succeed. This is a very interesting topic, thanks for writing about it.
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