Living on The Expectations of Others

In primary school, I was expected by my teachers to teach my younger sister well, and ensure she did as well as me in her studies.

In my secondary school, because it was a girls' school, all students (including me of course!) were expected to be good in the working world and good in kitchen. This was enshrined in our school motto.

During application of scholarship for university studies, I was expected to showcase how unique I was yet I didn't know I needed to do that. Pretty stupid huh. Of course I did not make it.

Growing up, the government told the nation my country is a place where if you worked hard, you would do well in life.

In my family, as an elder sister, I was expected to take full responsibility for my sister: her safety, her studies, even after some of the financial obligations my sister would have to undertake after her marriage such as housing and children expenses.

After graduation from university and stepping into the corporate world, I was expected to go beyond my job scope, to be smarter and more diligent than all of my peers, so that I could climb the corporate ladder faster.

After earning an income, I was expected to pay monthly rental for my room in my parents' house, I was expected to give a stipulated a amount of allowance to each of my parents, not meeting which would result in me being labelled as unfilial.

During a heated family argument, my uncle expected me to let me be scolded by my mother; he also expected me to allow myself to be killed if my mother wanted to kill me. In other words, he expected me to have complete obedience to my mother.

I found some of these expectations were not so bad for self-development but many were unfair.

Think about your life. Are you here on earth living on your own terms or living to meet the expectations of others? If you are, STOP doing it for a moment. You really have got to re-examine your way of life. Some of the expectations of us are good for our self development but many others has not much real value. 

So choose the way to want to leave.

(If you are using a mobile phone, please switch to web version view instead of mobile version view to see the opt-in box to subscribe to my updates which will deliver to your mailbox straight.)