For years she kept her head down and played her position as center on the team. She was careful to not aspire to any other role, as the center was just as important as the point guard. After all, the center position made her the center in her families world. Year after year the team grew stronger and more mighty- they won countless championship games. However, she no longer wanted to simply be a player on a winning team- she wanted to own the whole entire team.

Have you ever felt like life is good, but there’s so much more out there? Additionally, have you ever felt like you want or expect too much out of life? So many people are ok living a simple life and that’s fine, but it’s ok to want to live a grand one too! For too long I feel like I’ve put my head down and played my role on the team. The majority of my life up until now has been about taking care of my children and raising them well. I believe that I have successfully completed this task and now what?

We have expectations of the teams we love so dearly. Every year we hope and pray that they’ll make it to the finals and when they don’t we are let down again. After awhile, you almost don’t want to expect anything- hoping that in not having any expectations- we won’t feel the agony of defeat as strongly. These expectations bleed over into every facet of our lives from relationships at home to career aspirations. The biggest question becomes how do we manage expectations in our lives so that we can live our best lives, but still keep our feet on the ground in reality.

Brene Brown says, “Expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” I’m caught somewhere between believing that and rejecting that notion fully. My husband has always said that I expect too much out of people. I feel like you get what you expect- so expect the best! However, I can’t argue with him that having grand expectations of life and people will often times lead to gross disappointment. As I get older and reflect on this next chapter of my life, I’m trying to find a balance between breaking out of playing my old position and finding a new one that will suit me. I’m realizing that the key is to not worry about other people’s expectations of you, because that will always lead to failure. The most important lesson I’m learning to is that you can have wild and crazy dreams that others don’t understand. The sky can be your limit, but the winning component is your ability to manage your self through discipline, planning, executing, and having resilience to manage through tough times.

Athletes are expected to be physically and mentally tough. They are taught to pivot and go around obstacles that cross their path. They know that you can’t always win- there will be times where you will taste defeat and loss. Sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectations. Make sure to dream big- it’s ok to want the world- just make sure that you’re willing to put in the time and work everyday to make your dream a reality. The greatest lesson I’ve learned in dealing with the expectations of trying to realize my dream and changing the trajectory of my life is simply this- you get what work for- not what you wish for. You can always change teams, you can go for being a player to an owner, but you can’t get out of doing the work necessary to change your reality. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”- Lao Tzu