Expectations

A bar sits on a pedestal in the center of the room. You are alone. The objective is to make it to the other side of the room. Something must be done about that bar. You have a few choices:

1. Ignore the bar and smack right into it;
2. Step around the bar;
3. Duck under the bar; or
4. Jump over the bar.

Well, ignoring it does no good unless you want a bruised forehead. You are forced to face the challenge before you in another way.

Stepping around it is perfectly fine, if you prefer evasiveness. You can avoid the problem all you want but it’s still there. Your sense of accomplishment won’t be very high, either.

How about ducking under the bar? Whew, that was a close one! You took a risk, putting yourself in such a vulnerable position. What if the bar had fallen off of the pedestal? But you made it without a scratch. You didn’t even touch the bar. Still, the thrill isn’t as high as it could have been.

The only other option is to jump over it. You back up to the wall, breathe in deeply, and then pump your legs as fast as you possibly can. Faster, faster, until you throw your body into an arch, tuck your legs in, and clear the bar with two inches to spare. You land firmly on your feet and exit the room with well-earned pride.

What is the point, though? If all you have to do is walk across the room, why bother jumping?

Imagine that the bar represents the standards that you are striving for in life. You still have the same choices for meeting those expectations. So let us review the merits of each one.

Ignoring what is expected of you can be dangerous and harmful to your one and only experience of life. If you continually treat life as a joke without its challenges, you will be stuck in one place, bumping your head.

Avoiding the challenges is acceptable if you want to lead a boring life. Taking risks will enrich your life further if that is what you desire, but there is nothing necessarily wrong with living safely. Consider it carefully before you make that decision, because there’s no way to make it through life alive.

Playing limbo with those expectations is the best option thus far. That is the equivalent of almost reaching it, getting as close as you can without actually touching it. You will feel satisfied with taking the plunge and attempting it, but unless you actually reach your goals and your full potential, you will be missing out on some of the opportunities life has to offer. Yes, it is risky, making it to the top, but it is worth the risk.

That leaves treating the expectations like a high jump bar. This is the most dangerous of all. By making the leap, you are letting go of your fears and self-consciousness and just going for it. It is only fair to warn you that you may fail the first few times. It takes practice to successfully clear the bar. But the practice is worth it, because when your life is over, you will be able to stand tall and say, “I made the jump. I took the risk, and I made it over.”

See, if that bar represents the expectations placed on you, there is still a lot of space between the bar and the ceiling. There is plenty of open sky waiting for you to reach out and try to grasp. Don’t ignore it, step around it, or duck under it. Reach for the stars. Take a running start and launch yourself into all of life’s possibilities. Live until the day you die. Challenge those expectations.