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Some are self-imposed.
Some are from other people.
But there are too many of them.
I can never live up to all the expectations people have of me, nor the ones I have of myself.
After all, I'm only one human.
But it's distressing. I'll put in a really good effort some days, then others I get so overwhelmed that I literally just curl up in a corner and try to shut everything out.
There are so many, from so many different sources...
...The expectation to be a loving, considerate, self-less, hard-working wife...
...The expectation to be a loving, considerate, thoughtful daughter and daughter-in-law...
...The expectation to be a loyal, considerate, thoughtful friend...
...The expectation to move...
...The expectation to produce children. (or grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, depending on the source)...
...The expectation to be fiscally responsible...
...The expectation to make wise decisions in everyday life, every day of my life...
...The expectation to be a loyal, productive, understanding, Christ-like member of a church...
...The expectation to be "flexible"...
...The expectation to be a loyal, productive, hard-working, conscientious employee...
...The expectation to live up to my potential...
...And the list goes on....
I've been wondering lately why my stress levels have been getting out of control. When I sat down and looked (really looked) at what's been happening in my life lately, I've realized that I have a lot of expectations placed on me, and I'm having a very difficult time living up to them all.
It causes me great distress when I let someone down.
It causes me great distress when I let myself down.
Sometimes I want to climb up on a hill, or the roof of a building, and just scream to the sky, "ENOUGH!!!"
I guess it's a case of prioritizing: whose expectations are the most important? Which expectations are the ones that really count in the long-run?
It's the type of question that I need a time-out from life to really be able to answer. There's no easy, clear-cut answer, because so many of the expectations are legitimate and important both in this life and the next.
But a "time-out" is not on the agenda for quite a while yet.
Right now, I'm just tired.
Tired of trying.
Tired of failing.
Just.
Plain.
Tired.
Somebody throw me a life-ring here?.....
Some are from other people.
But there are too many of them.
I can never live up to all the expectations people have of me, nor the ones I have of myself.
After all, I'm only one human.
But it's distressing. I'll put in a really good effort some days, then others I get so overwhelmed that I literally just curl up in a corner and try to shut everything out.
There are so many, from so many different sources...
...The expectation to be a loving, considerate, self-less, hard-working wife...
...The expectation to be a loving, considerate, thoughtful daughter and daughter-in-law...
...The expectation to be a loyal, considerate, thoughtful friend...
...The expectation to move...
...The expectation to produce children. (or grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, depending on the source)...
...The expectation to be fiscally responsible...
...The expectation to make wise decisions in everyday life, every day of my life...
...The expectation to be a loyal, productive, understanding, Christ-like member of a church...
...The expectation to be "flexible"...
...The expectation to be a loyal, productive, hard-working, conscientious employee...
...The expectation to live up to my potential...
...And the list goes on....
I've been wondering lately why my stress levels have been getting out of control. When I sat down and looked (really looked) at what's been happening in my life lately, I've realized that I have a lot of expectations placed on me, and I'm having a very difficult time living up to them all.
It causes me great distress when I let someone down.
It causes me great distress when I let myself down.
Sometimes I want to climb up on a hill, or the roof of a building, and just scream to the sky, "ENOUGH!!!"
I guess it's a case of prioritizing: whose expectations are the most important? Which expectations are the ones that really count in the long-run?
It's the type of question that I need a time-out from life to really be able to answer. There's no easy, clear-cut answer, because so many of the expectations are legitimate and important both in this life and the next.
But a "time-out" is not on the agenda for quite a while yet.
Right now, I'm just tired.
Tired of trying.
Tired of failing.
Just.
Plain.
Tired.
Somebody throw me a life-ring here?.....
J9, focus on the one expectation we all have to live up to - do God's will and the rest will fall into place. Simplify and focus on just One!!!!
Agreed! Good advice!
Although, I know, not easy to follow through. It's like how we give our troubles to the Lord...and then take them back. We focus...and before you know it we're stressing about the other expectations again.
Read this, close your eyes and picture yourself in Peters place.
Matthew 14:29-32
Love you,
Les
Oh, Janine...like you said before...you and i are a lot alike and quite frankly what you're describing is exactly what I was feeling...just TODAY!!! The trouble is that these kind of feelings are just exhausting and once we give into them it's like a downward spiral...and we think we'll feel better in the end ...but we never do.....that's when we have to smack ourselves upside the head....and follow the advice of the younger ones in the comments before this.....try not to give the devil a foothold, tell him to take a hike and go back to where he came from!
lots of love, M.