A Reminder to myself,

Expectation. A strong belief that something will happen in the future. I always hear people say “expectations lead to disappointments”. Is this true? Are all expectations bad? Well here’s my thought. Sometimes your greatest weakness is also your greatest strength. Living up to everyone’s expectations including your own can add stress. With the right mind and a positive attitude you can take the weight of all expectations and use it to help motivate you to do something you never thought you could do.

As I strut onto the red mats at a cheerleading competition my heart beats as if I am having a heart attack. The crowd is staring down at me on the mat. This is it. The moment I stick to the mat, and prepare myself to hear “READY” and the cheer to begin, goose-bumps run down my spine. When I cheer, I don’t only cheer for myself, but also for my coaches, my parents, and that little girl in the crowd wanting to be just like me one day. The weight of all these expectations for me to excel in all of my skills and not fall in my stunts begins to make me shake. Standing five feet high, 104 pounds, strawberry blonde hair, and green-blue eyes, these expectations of performing perfect every time sit on my shoulders trying to weigh me down. My coaches expect me to hit every stunt just like at practices. My parents expect me to smile the whole time, even when I can barely breathe. That little girl in the stands? Yeah, she expects me to be flawless. I have so much to live up to. As I approach my first stunt, all of these expectations make me want to just walk off the mat. I think to myself I’m going to let someone down, I just know it. Instead of letting these expectations drag me down, I use them to motivate me to be the best I can be. One foot in, jump up, push off, now I am up above my teammates. My life is literally in my bases hands. I start to focus, but then I see my parents, I begin to smile. My ankle begins to wobble, I see my coaches and that little girl in the stands. I squeeze EVERYTHING. In my mind, I am thinking that there is absolutely no way I am coming down. I fight, with everything I have just to live up to the expectations of everyone else.

Expectations do not only come with cheerleading. Expectations come with everything, especially school. It’s 3AM and I am still awake. Studying for finals. One Mountain Dew after another, struggling to stay awake. My eyes are heavy, but I know that I must do well. My parents are expecting me to get that ‘A’ in the class that I have been struggling in. My teachers expect me to excel just like I always have. And me? I expect myself to pass every exam with flying colors. These expectations are pushing me to study my heart out and give these exams everything I have. All of these thoughts are going through my head as the teacher passes out the final exam, one by one. I get the test, take a good look at it and suddenly feel as if I am going to let someone down. I set my pencil down, crack my knuckles, crack my neck, then I pick my pencil back up and realize the best thing I can do is my best. Sometimes you have to let go of what everyone is expecting and just do you. But then again, the last thing I want to do is let someone down.

Although the weight of all the expectations can feel like they are dragging you through life, always remember; expectations are just goals that you and others set for yourself. Instead of taking expectations as a burden to carry, take it as compliment. Expectations are just a seldom way of others telling you that they believe that you can do great things.


Sincerely,

Abby