Expectations.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTWELLNESSIDENTITY

9/5/20221 min read

The theme of expectations has been coming up for me recently.

Not just the expectations we carry from others, but the many expectations we place upon ourselves.

Growing up, I had a very specific idea of what I expected my adult life to look like.

I would trade in my dELiA*s patchwork jeans for slacks. Only drink Cosmopolitans (again, thanks SATC). And enjoy life as a marine biologist residing in a Scottish castle with my husband, Justin Timberlake.
Of course, my reality is far from this fantasy life – it’s even better (although I wouldn’t mind the castle bit!).

But had I remained fixated on these expectations, it would have stunted my growth. I wouldn’t have discovered my passion and talent for writing, my incredible partner, sobriety, or my love for sweatpants, among many other things.

Today's prompt for the 21 π˜‹π˜’π˜Ίπ˜΄ 𝘡𝘰 𝘈𝘀𝘡π˜ͺ𝘷𝘒𝘡𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘢𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘒𝘡π˜ͺ𝘷𝘦 writing challenge explores what it feels like to release expectations surrounding your writing practice. To write without judgment.

Doing so gives you the space to write whatever comes to mind rather than adhering to a preconceived idea of what you’d like to fill the page with. This invites creative ideas to the surface - things you never would have expected, And this notion can be applied to other areas of life.

Releasing expectations doesn’t mean abandoning all goals or ambition.
Instead, it invites you to approach each experience with a fresh perspective.

Pivot toward things that pique your interest.
Appreciate each moment.
And surrender to uncertainty.

There are so many unexpectedly delightful ideas brewing within you, just waiting to be discovered.

β€œπ˜žπ˜©π˜¦π˜― 𝘺𝘰𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘒𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘀𝘡𝘒𝘡π˜ͺ𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘢 𝘒𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘡𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘡𝘩π˜ͺ𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘒𝘡 𝘡𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘒𝘳𝘦 π˜ͺ𝘯𝘴𝘡𝘦𝘒π˜₯ 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘒𝘡 𝘺𝘰𝘢 𝘡𝘩π˜ͺ𝘯𝘬 𝘡𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘢𝘭π˜₯ 𝘣𝘦.” -Mandy Hale