…adapted from Believe. Do. And Follow Through!
Chapter 19
So often we get so caught up in living up to expectations that others set for us. We get so accustomed to this type of living that we eventually lose touch with reality. This is “living the BIG lie” – not being in touch with yourself and being dishonest to your own beliefs.
There are people reading these words, right now, that have lost their grasp on reality and just need to look within to break this vicious cycle.
A WARNING to those who break the cycle:
…You might find yourself alone drinking a cup of coffee, instead of with the normal morning gathering of fans…
The best part about this, though, is you get the opportunity to regain yourself. Everyone – at some point – feels like they’ve lost touch with reality. This isn’t hard to do, because we all want to be accepted by our peers or to obtain some certain social status.
“One of my personal challenges in living through expectations was trying to live up to the standards my parents set for my sister and me. Getting a college education was not optional. I felt this was something I had to achieve, just to exist in this world we live in. That was a lot of pressure I carried around with me, because I had no idea what I wanted to do in this giant world that we are all supposed to go out into and just start living in. I think early on I lacked discipline and dedication to committing to selecting a career or pursuing a degree in a certain discipline.
Now, I look back and I realize I made a choice to live up to those expectations. Not once did I ask why getting a college education was so important in my parents’ eyes. The examples they set for me seemed very normal, and I thought that they were the same expectations everybody else my age was living with.” – Isaiah
Are you living up to expectations set by some outside force? Have you lost touch with your own personal reality? Stop – and take time to evaluate how you are truly living. Stop letting others determine what your expectations in life should be. Get in touch with your own reality.
Live through the expectations,
and keep on living!
Marty Reep 