Great Expectations��� Are They Great Enough?

I���m not sure I���ve ever blogged about this but I am a podcast junkie. I love them! And some of my favorite podcasts I���ve discovered via NPR. Most recently I listened to a podcast called Invisibilia which discussed how our expectations of each other can really affect our performance. Sound crazy? I highly recommend you check it out.

A large portion of an episode called How to Become Batman is dedicated to telling the story of Daniel Kish, President of World Access for the Blind and an expert in echolocation. The truth is that for many of us listening to Daniel���s story is amazing, but what Daniel argues is that it shouldn���t be���basically if we (society) would simply adjust our expectations we have for those who are blind, they would be able to achieve more.

I know the jury is still out on this but I couldn���t help but turn the thought over in my mind, wondering if I am expecting enough from my children or even myself. I���m not sure it even works when we are dealing with our own introspective thoughts, but I���d have to think there is something to it. Think of the pep talks we give ourselves or what we do as we are trying to pull ourselves out of a funk. It doesn���t always work but that could be due to many factors.

So where am I going with this? I guess I���m looking out at a lot of unhappy people out there and I have to ask myself, what they are expecting. What do each of us want out of life and are we setting our sights on the goals. Do we truly expect that we���ll reach them? If not, perhaps our expectations aren���t quite where they should be.

Happy writing this week and whatever your plans or expectations, reach for the stars!

Filed under: A writer's life, Toni Kelly