Great Expectations

     
              "I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations and you're not in this world to live up to mine."
                            -Bruce Lee                                    

Growing up as a young and admittedly awkward child, I've learnt the hard way how much expectations can define one's dreams, plans and hopes for the future. Expectations, life has thought me can make or break an individual; defining his character - helping him discover both his strengths and weaknesses- giving him a place in the society. In the general Malaysian context, I would obnoxiously infer that expectations has hitherto formed the core of our nation. It's interesting how expectations are in fact ingested with amazing subtleness into the hearts of the people through formal education when even homes and families fail. We are expected to behave in a manner only accepted by the norm, where the adults always know better and good children are the ones that help with the household chores. Schools and classroom have taken it upon themselves to ingest into the children of today, expectations that would define these young ones and the future of our world as a whole. Expectations have not only moulded most people to be what they are it has also moulded the very system which our society runs by. Expectations have begot social conditioning that we subject our fellow human beings to on a day to day basis. It is expected of children to believe in whatever they are told and not to question 'truths'. Religion, as a major  aspect of society and civilization has been imposed onto people ever since forever. It is expected of a child to pledge to a certain believe system just because his parents have done so. Our society today has become almost autocratic in how it runs, denying  people the freedom to live by imposing expectations on them.I believe imposing one's believes, ideas and culture on another is to dehumanize the other. And it looks to me as if our world is headed for a mass dehumanizing massacre. As Mandela once said: when a man is denied the life he believes in, he is forced to become an outlaw.

Voices that seek to Outlaw.

I would however not rule out the prospect of expectations being constructive.A young child is thought great lessons in life through the imposition of expectations upon him. But the form that expectations take in these circumstances is of a whole different dimension and it is often in favour of the ideas, believes and most importantly happiness of the young life in concern. My dad often tells me that education is a gift from myself to me. That thought had moulded me as a person through the years to believe that each action I take today is the colour I'm using to paint the mosaic of my future. This has led me to to expect more from myself. Not to succumb to the expectations of the people around me rather do what makes me happy. I studied with all my might back in school not because my dad expected straight A's from me (my dad is a discipline teacher), rather because I learnt to understand that I am capable of producing good results if I worked hard enough and these results are not in favour of anyone's future but mine. This also taught me to not expect from others. In the case of examinations and awesome results, I grew up not expecting anything from my parents whenever I performed well because I grew to believe that they are not obliged to reward me for the things I do for the good of  myself. Also, time and again this dying world has seen leaders rising up to meet the expectations and needs at hand. The Anglo Americans needed freedom from slavery and Lincoln rose up to the need of the times and waged war against slavery which finally ended in victory for the slaves when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. He was also the reason why America survived the American Civil War and did not break into smaller parts. All these wasn't expected of anyone but him because he was Mr.President then, and he rose up to meet those expectations making him one of the most loved and remembered forefathers of America.

"Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed"                         

                                                       -Benjamin Franklin.

Quoting Benjamin Franklin, another great President of America also one of the most revered Masonic leaders, is an unavoidable conclusion that we being mere humans do resort to being expectant of our surroundings and society. Time and again, we fall victim to disappointment because we resort to expecting.  Our days are subject to every tom, dick and harry that cross our paths for it is them that sculpt the very fibre of  the time we spend at our wake. Each happening in our day contributes an important percentile to determining the quality of the time spent that day and holistically if it was a good day or otherwise. More often than not, we allow the people who surround us and our daily happenings to determine our mood and temperament. We have always reacted to our surroundings, always expecting the world to be fair and our fellow humans to do things our way. Due to this pattern of being a reactant, we have fallen victim to disappointments in regards to unsatisfied expectations. If we would allow ourselves to take a step back and re-evaluate our lives and actually start responding to circumstances and people instead of merely reacting, we would definitely be happier people; so much less expectant.  For he who expects nothing shall never be disappointed or rather; he who expects less shall be disappointed less. In the light of this new year, I aspire to be less expectant, happier and self-motivated. I aspire to respond instead of reacting and allow myself to find joy in the little things in life that would send spasms into memories when I look back in years to come. Wishing all of you a blessed 2013; a Happy New Year of Great Expectations.

Beautiful Spasms.