During this amazing once in a life time opportunity of a life we get to live, we tend to waste our precious time having expectations on a variety of elements. Be it the body we expected to be rocking at 25, the fancy over the top Range Rover, or the significant other that was supposed to pop the question ages ago. Why we bother ourselves with waiting on things to happen is the question one needs to ask themselves? An example can be given for Valentine’s Day. The day people celebrate their love and affection for each other. However, this day has turned out to be one filled with anxiety and heavy weight expectations being thrown, especially on men. Who said this day should be a disguised completion to prove whose boyfriend can entertain a lady better? Due to the fact that there is ongoing pressure to “wow” the significant other, the day ends up being a stress factor rather than a day of enjoyment. Another load people tend to throw on others is the expectation of having the successful, luxurious job. When one clocks 30 and they are not earning the big bucks, society tries to throw them off, stepping on them while they are already on the floor. “I thought you would be practicing law by now. What happened?” they ask. And to avoid the embarrassment, one smiles awkwardly, making the whole conversation a bust from that moment on. “We shouldn’t live our lives being constantly on the lookout for what society thinks. We would end up living their lives and not ours. Now how selfish would that be? Let us all build each other up by supporting one another with positive vibes,” says Lesa Iteka, a college student based in the US. One of the reasons why having expectations and setting them according to your life goals shouldn’t be encouraged is so that one can save themselves from heartache. Let’s say as you were growing up, one of your goals was to be married by 25. 29 is two months away and you already feel like the world is plotting against you. One thing we all need to comprehend is that just because the year, month, hour or minute that we had scheduled didn’t plan out the way we wanted, it doesn’t mean you will end up as the lonely cat person. It just means that the few extra years was for you to build yourself up just a little bit more. “If it is meant to be it will be. We should stop worrying about when the perfect person will come along, and start wondering how ready we are for the next chapter that comes with that sort of change,” say Jasmine Uwineza, a receptionist at The Manor. Let’s all strive to throw away the expectations and start living our lives in the moment. Otherwise, the one and only chance of living will be filled with misery and sadness.
