Expectations..

Hi everyone.. I'll start this post with something funny as usual..

A waiter asks a man, “May I take your order, sir?” “Yes,” the man replies. “I’m just wondering, exactly how do you prepare your chickens?” “Nothing special, sir. We just tell them straight out that they’re going to die.”


Today, I'll like to talk about expectations. But before that, let me talk about certainty. Expectations are somewhat affliated to certainty. Just like the chickens, who're certain of impending death. If you knew for certain that if you did this particular thing, you'll achieve success, then wouldn't you do that very thing? We all have to be certain about something. Otherwise, we wouldn't know if the roof is going to hold above our heads. Certainty is the belief or faith that we'll succeed, despite circumstances or people telling us otherwise. It is what holds the walls and ceilings together. So then what are expectations?


I've attended quite a number of self-help talks in my lifetime and most of them share this common denominator. Expectations. If you want to succeed, you need to have expectations. Some expect to lead ordinary lives. Others expect more. But one thing is certain. The higher your expectations, the higher the standards you set for yourself. It actually gets easier to reach your goals if you set higher expectations.


A motivational speaker used this for an illustration. He asked, "If you wanted to touch the ceiling right this very minute, what would you do?". Instantly, the audience replied:

1. Find a ladder
2. Stand on one another shoulders


Before anyone else could reply, he dahed to the nearest highest table and jumped right on it and shouted, "Who's closer to the ceiling now? You or Me?". Expectations represent that table he's standing on. The ceiling represents the goals you've set for yourself. By sheer deduction of common sense, the higher the table you stand on, the easier it is to reach your goals. Therefore, set high expectations and you'll achieve your goals with more ease.


I decided to take the bus today. Boy was it packed! Phew! What an experience! As I looked at the faces of the people sitting and standing on the bus, it became clear to me that they were people who didn't have high expectations. People who didn't expect to own cars or for that matter, be driven around in them. They looked pretty happy taking the bus. I wasn't! I guess the lesson I learnt today was, it doesn't matter if you're comfortable with your environment. Something needs to challenge you to reach out for something better. To grow. We all grow in different ways, some spiritually, some through family, some through wealth etc. But growth is somewhat linked to our goals. And our achievement of those goals, is indefinitely linked to... our expectations. So let's expect more of ourselves today, and spend some time reflecting on our expectations and the expectations of others. =)

Words of Inspirations

"Expect to succeed. Expect the unexpected. Problems and hiccups are bound to deter you or hinder your journey. Expectations help you to prepare yourself mentally the tools needed to win. But win gracefully and with integrity. Only then, can you gain something far more important than victory. Respect."