"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one. "
~John Lennon


Friday, April 20, 2012

Perspective

I'm not much of a fan of the admonition "Keep It In Perspective".

For one thing, we are each on a different levels of learning, and have lived different lives, thus we have various perspectives.

Like the short dog in the photo, I know that some things I do may look like they would be simple. But I also know that the best way for me to get through something is to have no expectations. Not of myself and not of others. I can't do anything about others who have expectations of me, and I don't alter my plans or my honest values to accommodate their expectations of me. Not my problem. And if they are disappointed in me, also not my problem. I give myself the freedom to take care of me. That is enough of a job.  The only perspective for that is from within.

17 comments:

Ms. A said...

Very well said, Cici. I have a much different perspective than most people and someday I hope to not care what their others expectations are of me. I'm not there, yet, but I hope to get there. I try to keep my expectations low, less disappointment that way.

DJan said...

You are a wise woman. I am not sure if I am there yet, but I aspire to have no expectations, either. However, when I get sick, I expect to get better soon, and lately I've been dragging around. I think I'll give myself a break from my expectations! Thanks for the tip. :-)

Jeanie said...

I think I still place expectations on myself, maybe more than I should, but I long ago (mostly) gave up trying to live up to what others expected of me. Trying to satisfy the expectations others put on us can turn into an impossible burden.

Jeni said...

Sounds very reasonable to me. I used to have very high expectations of my self and didn't really realize how much damage I was creating in myself as I compared things in my life to the way my Mom had always managed. It wasn't until one of my favorite aunts made me realize how wrong my thinking was to use my Mom as a comparative there because she had access to many resources which I didn't have and that was causing me to frequently feel as if I had failed or was going to fail. That aspect isn't completely gone from my thought processes but at least now I recognize the problem there.

Liz Mays said...

Love how you said "that is enough of a job." That is SO true!

Abby said...

Amen! Sometimes easier said than done, for me anyway.

stephen Hayes said...

Wise words to live by, and as someone with a twenty-eight inch inseam I appreciate the metaphor.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

So true! Have a nice weekend.

Shrinky said...

I hear what you say, and it makes total sense for peace of mind. I try to live up to my own expectations, because frankly, they aren't that high (shrug), however, sometimes it's easier for me to strive to live up to the often unreasonable expectectaions of my Sweet Sam, because the fallout is just too high a price to pay (for EVERYONE)!!

Brian Miller said...

i def agree...i think that true understanding comes int he sharing of our perspectives honestly and seeking to understand that others...i agree on the expectations part as well...that is where we can really trip up and feel hurt when we take things the wrong way...

Happy Frog and I said...

Wise words Cici. x

Claudya Martinez said...

You just couldn't be more right.

Lisa said...

I think I just live. Within the limits of what is right and wrong, legal and illegal :)

CiCi, I have a new address for my blog. It is on my profile. Thank you CiCi.

Maggie May said...

You know, that is a very wise way of thinking.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

terri said...

This is refreshing to read. I often have a hard time keeping things in the perspective that the world sets for us. I often feel bad for feeling sad or disappointed or angry because someone is telling me that if I had a better perspective, I'd have a more positive outlook. You're right though. Everyone's ability to manage life comes from a different perspective.

Rock Chef said...

A great thought!

Do you see yourself as a dachund? :-)

Stickup Artist said...

Oh my gosh, I just had an experience that illustrates this perfectly. Someone had an expectation of me that I knew I wasn't going to fulfill. Growing up has a lot of upsides...