We are given 2 different messages in life: don’t expect too much (because you’ll be disappointed). But then we are also taught to hope and dream – to expect great things.
They are both generally things we are taught by our parents. You get told not to expect too much at Christmas and birthdays when you’re little because your parents are trying to protect you from disappointment (Grandma’s present normally. You always hoped that this year wouldn’t be a knitted sweater. The disappointment when it wasn’t a tape or a computer game cartridge – showing my age!)
The other message is that you can be whatever and whoever you want. This is a great message ! You can! But we get restrictions put on us at school with exams and choices. We have to do what we get good marks in, not necessarily what we want/love to do. A lot of us end up drifting because we follow the choices that school made for us. That is probably why a lot of people get to their thirties and have no idea how to do anything else.
If you were lucky and were taught as I was that Grandma made you that sweater out of love and she thought of you with each stitch. (You realise this about 10 years later!). If you can get through school and get out into the world you can do whatever you like. Even if you get to your thirties and are slightly disillusioned. Change is always possible.
One of my favourite sayings is “shoot for the moon, if you miss you’ll be among stars.” I love this – it says dream big and it doesn’t matter if you don’t make it – at least you will have tried.
Written for the Daily Post “Great Expectations” – https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_writing_challenge/great-expectations/
La Vita e Bella 