Breaking Away from Expectations 2
Others Expectations: An Opportunity to Validate and Celebrate Your Identity.
How much do you really know yourself?
And, how ‘immune’ are you from the temptations of others?
Personally, dealing with exterior expectations has always been a pending issue in my life. The duality between the norms set by the Moroccan culture and customs, and my own, as an individual with my own professional and personal goals, has greatly affected the quality of my self-discovery journey. In that way, dealing with outer expectations is challenging; on one hand, it affects your self-image and identity, on the other, others' expectations are completely out of your control!
How to Handle Outer Expectations:
- Find what inspires you: What are you ‘curious’ about? I haven’t read it yet, but I have come across this idea of chasing your curiosity instead of ‘passion’ in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book (Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life and Let go of Your Fear) and I was very intrigued! As far as self-discovery is concerned, curiosity is a feeling that can be translated into an early stage of finding your purpose! Make a list of anything that sparks your interest and make it personal — about you! Then, about the value, it brings to others.
- Nurture an open mind: Recall your proudest moment. It will greatly help you realize what you are capable of and what you could be capable of! Write down that moment, and jot down any feelings that mark it the most! It is important; however, to stay grounded and focused on improving yourself rather than falling into the praise and validation of others. Constantly remind yourself of why you are on this road.
- Embrace Your Own Company: Fall in love with spending time with yourself! You may realize how much fun you can be! Before I got into personal growth, I was constantly seeking others company — not that I don’t enjoy socializing now; however, as soon as I started experimenting with the time I get to myself in the day, I’ve come to feel more appreciation for my interests, and I’ve nurtured a more intentional attitude of interacting with others in my life and meeting new people. It is a win-win! When my cousin whom I’ve recently gotten in touch with asked me how much I think I’ve changed, my response was: “Much more fun to be with than I was”.
Thank you for the support you have given to my previous article! I was so thrilled to interact with your responses and welcome your support! I hope this piece was of help to you!
Thank you for reading! I wish you a happy summer!
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For more similar articles, you are welcome to check out my profile: Imane Ben
