“I can’t live up to your expectations.” I read that sentence the other day and was quickly hit with a barrage of icky emotions, two of which were sadness and anger.
And the word that had me so twisted was “up.” Had the sentence used the word “meet” instead of “up”, I probably wouldn’t have had such a negative reaction.

We subjectively decide what is “up.” Are doctors and lawyers up? I know a lot of doctors and lawyer who are incredibly unhappy, so can we really call that up? Are our expectations predicated on salary or advanced degrees? I believe a lot of people are trying to live a life that lives up to the expectations of themselves and others but there is nothing UP about their decision.

Become a doctor if and only if you are wildly passionate about medicine. Become a lawyer if you are fired up about the law, otherwise, there is nothing UP about it. UP, in my book, when it comes to expectations is incredibly unique to each individual; You can only live UP to my expectations if your pursuit includes, joy, happiness, and something that sets your soul on fire! That my friend is UP!

With Gratitude,
Beth