Expectations

Expectations are all around us.  Ones we have of ourselves, ones we think other people have of us, ones other people do have of us.  It's funny how we can let other peoples expectations influence our own decisions.  Sometimes this is good, other times this isn't so good.  For me, I have so often twisted myself into a pretzel to meet other peoples expectations of me, real or perceived.  This, in turn, makes me feel terrible about myself because it relays the message that who I am isn't good enough.

Changing this has been a big shift for me.  I had to start with coming to believe that I too deserve to be myself, to have my needs met, to live my own life.  It means thinking about situations differently. It also means ensuring that my expectations of myself are realistic and true to who I am.  If something isn't working I need to evaluate why, but not try and try and try to make it work, not at the expense of me and my mental health.  It's challenging, but good.  I have seen myself doing this lately in small ways.  It gives me hope that I can continue to do so.