We live in a world of expectations and unwritten rules. From the cradle to the grave, labels mixed with dogmatic pressure from society is thrown at us like a fast ball, creating illusions that we overlook daily. Before we can even establish a foundation of who we are, we are forced to withhold an agenda that somebody else formats for us.



It all starts when we are 2 years old, the most curious stage of our lives. As a child, the world is a mysterious wonderland full of majestic creations. Nevertheless, the saying curiosity killed the cat hinders this experience for a kid. Once a child expresses themselves or takes an interest in something that an adult coins as pointless, the child is punished internally, with the manifestation of insecurity.



As we get older, the people in our lives develop a perception of who we are in their point of view, molding false narratives in their mind of who we should be in their world. For example, a mother might see her teenage son as a future doctor or lawyer, while that same young man is an upcoming NFL football player in his father’s eyes, in contrast to his friends, who want him to be the guitarist to their rock band in hopes of making it big on the hot 100 charts.



In the midst of all of the expectations in our lives, we lose our identity along with our true passions in life. The majority of society gave up on what they love for the American dream that’s pushed upon us from childhood. Studies show that 70 percent of employers dread clocking into their career job yet still pushing for a promotion. Regardless of the reality that we only get one life, this became the social norm of our culture.



Projecting a role on our friends, family and relationships could be poison for our mind and soul. When you think about it, the only time that we are disappointed in someone is when that person doesn’t meet our expectations. Imagine how peaceful our lives would be if we didn’t protrude our outlook on others or if we didn’t have the heavy burden on our backs of the people close to us, expecting us to be their version of who we should be just to please them.



There’s solace within not worrying what others think. We all have a one out of 400 trillion chance of being alive and an even smaller chance of being alive in this time period, which is the best time to be alive. With that said, following the path that your soul desires is a win win regardless of the result. Expectations are false reality, and living up to them is a perpetual fabrication of our existence. ‪The past is history, the future is a mystery, and the moment is a gift. Enjoying our gifts is what life is about.