Expectations
Expectations
“Expectations”…what do you think of? “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens maybe? Whatever the case, all people have expectations. It could be something they expect of others, or something they expect of themselves. It is something you look forward to in the future. It is the motivation, the incentive, people need to keep looking forward to tomorrow—the prospect of something wonderful about to happen. An undergraduate might have expectations of a bright, successful future, a businessman might have expectations of striking the jackpot, a budding designer might have visions of his/her designs domineering the runway, a new star might have dreams of the red carpet……the list goes on and on. But should we really expect so much of ourselves and our lives, really?
Enough of this philosophy talk (it’s boring, ain’t it?) As a student, what do we expect? Well, of course, good grades for one thing—math whiz, human Dictaphone, living dictionary and all that. But then again, who doesn’t? As a student, it has been ingrained into our minds the chain reaction of “study hard, get good grades, get into a prestigious university, get a good job with a high income, retire in luxury.” This is a sterling example of the “perfect life”. Everyone expects their life to play out the same way. It seems to be like checking off a “to-do” list, no ups or downs. Is this life, really? You only live once, treasure life while you can. Why isn’t anyone dreaming about being an Olympic athlete, bringing glory to their country, or becoming the future female politician? Why aren’t we taught to live life to its fullest? Why are we taught to expect our lives to be lived in total comfort and in our own benefit?
I believe, as a student and a teen, we should be taught to expect ups and downs in life, taking risks and loving every minute of it. Instead of teaching us to say, “I see myself as a doctor/lawyer with a high-income job and a perfect family”, why not “ I expect myself to be a leading
“Expectations”…what do you think of? “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens maybe? Whatever the case, all people have expectations. It could be something they expect of others, or something they expect of themselves. It is something you look forward to in the future. It is the motivation, the incentive, people need to keep looking forward to tomorrow—the prospect of something wonderful about to happen. An undergraduate might have expectations of a bright, successful future, a businessman might have expectations of striking the jackpot, a budding designer might have visions of his/her designs domineering the runway, a new star might have dreams of the red carpet……the list goes on and on. But should we really expect so much of ourselves and our lives, really?
Enough of this philosophy talk (it’s boring, ain’t it?) As a student, what do we expect? Well, of course, good grades for one thing—math whiz, human Dictaphone, living dictionary and all that. But then again, who doesn’t? As a student, it has been ingrained into our minds the chain reaction of “study hard, get good grades, get into a prestigious university, get a good job with a high income, retire in luxury.” This is a sterling example of the “perfect life”. Everyone expects their life to play out the same way. It seems to be like checking off a “to-do” list, no ups or downs. Is this life, really? You only live once, treasure life while you can. Why isn’t anyone dreaming about being an Olympic athlete, bringing glory to their country, or becoming the future female politician? Why aren’t we taught to live life to its fullest? Why are we taught to expect our lives to be lived in total comfort and in our own benefit?
I believe, as a student and a teen, we should be taught to expect ups and downs in life, taking risks and loving every minute of it. Instead of teaching us to say, “I see myself as a doctor/lawyer with a high-income job and a perfect family”, why not “ I expect myself to be a leading