Both of them stood there eagerly waiting for their turns. One was surrounded by people cheering for her, telling her how they expected so much out of her, while the other one stood isolated, completely with her own thoughts. While one thought “oh, how freeing it would be to be left alone with your thoughts,” not knowing how the other one’s victory lay in being in her shoes.

 

Have you ever stopped to wonder what truly sets two competitors apart? While both of them may be equally talented, prepared, or confident, sometimes what gives them that dash of push is how much is really expected out of them, and that is a double-edged blade polished with charm.

 

When I was in school, I often saw people upset about the expectations placed on them and how they felt as if they could never fulfill them. However, it really struck me how I lacked the ability to be upset about those things. Opting for higher studies and really going a little further in life, I realized that the world is actually filled with people like that who are “burdened” by the expectations people hold for them, but, if you asked me, I would actually love to have someone expect out of me. Doesn’t that give you a sense of validation? At least I am cut out for this.

 

At other times, I really started to realize that, yes, expectations can, however, be quite burdening. Don’t they just push you to achieve something and desperately avoid failure to at least save yourself from embarrassment? Hence, I concluded that it is the disgustingly poisoned double-sided coin.

 

And that’s when I began to understand — expectations don’t just lift or crush you; they define how you see yourself. On one hand, it builds pressure. Immense pressure. A pressure that actually breaks momentum rather than building it. If taken too seriously, it can feel suffocating and restless.

On the other hand, it builds a feeling of being left out. A feeling of “was I really cut out for it?” because it takes away the external validation. It sometimes asks us to quit without really trying. It gives a sense of isolation and a crumbling feeling of not being seen, of being left out.

 

I believe that in this world of a rat race, where everything is already so complicated, shouldn’t we be worried about other things, such as our preparation, our confidence, and the feeling of anxiety, while we are so consistently focused on the burden of expectations? I realized that even after all those overwhelming feelings, I hated how I was literally weighing the amount of expectations anyone had from me. What I really learned down the line is that no one really thinks too hard or gets “disappointed” when they expect out of you until they have put money on you, and that is the harsh truth. We are not as magnified as we think we are. Hence, whether there are expectations or not, they become the most irrelevant thing. Things that should be replaced.  The real truth comes down to those who are still seeking external validation are the ones really looking out for others’ expectations.  

 

If you truly pause to wonder, you might see how much lighter life could feel if you weren’t weighed down by the embarrassment of failure or haunted by the constant need for validation. Isn’t it enough to believe in yourself — to face yourself head-on, without the noise of what others expect?

So why let something so uncertain decide the worth of our effort, our talent, or our success?

Because the real victory doesn’t come from living up to what others imagine for you — it begins the moment you stop flipping the coin and start forging your own blade.