Just-a-Pause : Impossible Expectations

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Where there is expectation, there is hope. But where there are impossible expectations, there you will find general hopelessness. Let us look at the common perceptions that may unknowingly lead us to despair.

1. Women should be happy, now that the disparity between man and woman has narrowed down...Nah!

It is interesting to note that recent research findings suggest that women, who reported being happier than men in the 1970s, are now less happy than men.

Women...well!! With the nativity of the Women's Lib, we are certainly moving in the right direction. Although I don't know how it is relative to happiness! If anything, one could blame it on soaring expectations. Emancipation of women is happening, but at a slower pace than expected.

Women are now rubbing shoulders with men in the boardrooms, playing (or at least trying, and some succeeding too!) politics and putting in long hours at the workplace. Wonder if that has anything to do with being as unhappy as men? Besides, juggling work and home is no mean feat. But at what cost?

Women are more confident and no longer need to pretend to be happy anymore. Point noted!

2. Women should be beautiful

And while trying to gain professional recognition, women also have to look beautiful. To maintain that envied and much-sought after attractiveness, a woman must be skinny, but also be curvaceous enough. She must have a golden tan, but not so tan that it looks fake. Her body must look ft and healthy, but not too athletic or masculine. Whew! Tough....

3. You will find a job that you love doing and never have to work a day after that

I love to sing...so why am I not an artist? I love to dance...so why am I not a choreographer? We are all in search of that one mentally and physically gratifying job...only then, we would not call it a job anymore. But the hard reality is that we have mouths to feed and bodies to be clothed. That's no song and dance.

4. People should always understand you

Yeah...Right!! I'm loving it

5. Marriage is your spouse and you walking hand-in-hand happily into the sunset

Picture perfect! That's exactly what it is... a picture. Real life is something else altogether.

6. My child is the smartest and most talented

Just because the neighbour's child has done well, your child should have come out with flying colours too. How many parents are of this mindset? Don't you send your child to one class after another? Singing, dancing, karate, skating and what not!

7. Friends are forever

“Friendship is a ship that sails forever... through stormy seas...blah ... blah ... blah“. Most of us would have written this down during our school days in our friends' autograph book. But just how many of them are we in touch with today?

These are but a few of the many high aspirations we unconsciously put ourselves through day-in and day-out. Some are met thankfully, but what do we do about the unsuccessful yearnings?

If you are a pebble, covet that which is within reach.....
Yearning for the break-waters? That's for the rocks on the beach.