WestCoast Media
  • Local Events
    • Chino Events
    • Chino Hills Events
    • Corona Events
    • Diamond Bar Events
    • Eastvale Events
    • Orange County Events
    • Rancho Cucamonga Events
  • Beauty & Health
    • Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry
      more
      View more

      Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry

      7 months ago
    • Eating Under the Influence
      more
      View more

      Eating Under the Influence

      8 months ago
    • There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away
      more
      View more

      There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away

      9 months ago
    • Silence Anyone?
      more
      View more

      Silence Anyone?

      9 months ago
    • How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?
      more
      View more

      How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?

      9 months ago
  • Home
    • Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!
      more
      View more

      Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!

      7 months ago
    • International Holiday Side Dishes
      more
      View more

      International Holiday Side Dishes

      7 months ago
    • Creating a Better Guest Room
      more
      View more

      Creating a Better Guest Room

      8 months ago
    • Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings
      more
      View more

      Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings

      8 months ago
    • The Perfect Soirée
      more
      View more

      The Perfect Soirée

      8 months ago
  • Family
    • How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit
      more
      View more

      How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit

      6 months ago
    • How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children
      more
      View more

      How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children

      8 months ago
    • 25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive
      more
      View more

      25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive

      9 months ago
    • Dear Doctor…
      more
      View more

      Dear Doctor…

      9 months ago
    • Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison
      more
      View more

      Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison

      1 year ago
  • Lifestyle
  • Business & Finance
    • Why Ownership Matters
      more
      View more

      Why Ownership Matters

      1 year ago
    • Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change
      more
      View more

      Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change

      1 year ago
    • Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?
      more
      View more

      Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?

      2 years ago
    • Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!
      more
      View more

      Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!

      2 years ago
    • New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan
      more
      View more

      New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan

      2 years ago
  • Auto & Insurance
  • Spotlight
    • American Spirit
    • Mamalog
    • Head to Toe Trends
    • Carrying on Kennedy’s Voice
    • Get Local
    • IPittytheBull
  • About Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
    • Distribution
  • Like Us!
  • Local Events
    • Chino Events
    • Chino Hills Events
    • Corona Events
    • Diamond Bar Events
    • Eastvale Events
    • Orange County Events
    • Rancho Cucamonga Events
  • Beauty & Health
    • Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry
      more
      View more

      Eat, Drink, and Be Responsibly Merry

      7 months ago
    • Eating Under the Influence
      more
      View more

      Eating Under the Influence

      8 months ago
    • There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away
      more
      View more

      There’s Nothing Wrong with Wanting to Get Away

      9 months ago
    • Silence Anyone?
      more
      View more

      Silence Anyone?

      9 months ago
    • How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?
      more
      View more

      How Does Diagnostic Imaging Factor into Breast Cancer Screening?

      9 months ago
  • Home
    • Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!
      more
      View more

      Simple Checklist for Hosts and Guests!

      7 months ago
    • International Holiday Side Dishes
      more
      View more

      International Holiday Side Dishes

      7 months ago
    • Creating a Better Guest Room
      more
      View more

      Creating a Better Guest Room

      8 months ago
    • Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings
      more
      View more

      Liven Up Your Annual Gatherings

      8 months ago
    • The Perfect Soirée
      more
      View more

      The Perfect Soirée

      8 months ago
  • Family
    • How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit
      more
      View more

      How to Get Kids In the Holiday Spirit

      6 months ago
    • How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children
      more
      View more

      How to Create Memorable Holidays for Your Children

      8 months ago
    • 25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive
      more
      View more

      25 Ways to Keep the Magic of Christmas Alive

      9 months ago
    • Dear Doctor…
      more
      View more

      Dear Doctor…

      9 months ago
    • Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison
      more
      View more

      Teaching Your Children to Find Contentment in a Culture of Comparison

      1 year ago
  • Lifestyle
  • Business & Finance
    • Why Ownership Matters
      more
      View more

      Why Ownership Matters

      1 year ago
    • Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change
      more
      View more

      Funny Money, Along with Pocket Change

      1 year ago
    • Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?
      more
      View more

      Is It OK for You to Be More Successful?

      2 years ago
    • Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!
      more
      View more

      Don’t Believe Me? Just Watch!

      2 years ago
    • New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan
      more
      View more

      New Year’s Resolutions for Your Estate Plan

      2 years ago
  • Auto & Insurance
  • Spotlight
    • American Spirit
    • Mamalog
    • Head to Toe Trends
    • Carrying on Kennedy’s Voice
    • Get Local
    • IPittytheBull
  • About Us
    • Media Kit
    • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
    • Distribution
  • Like Us!
Live Life with Your Own Expectations
Good Reads

Live Life with Your Own Expectations

  • Natalie Maris by Natalie Maris
  • September 1, 2016
  • 56
  • 1197

Embedded between business meetings, diaper changes and the bedroom sheets is the question that has most people hustling in circles to find the answer: how can we have it all? Societal expectations have framed all of us to try to reach an unattainable goal, and for many, that stress can be hard to bear. Whether it’s striking the perfect balance between parenthood and a career, achieving and maintaining a perfect body, or being the perfect partner to their spouse, women and men are often left overworked, exhausted and disillusioned from trying to reach this ideal.

Along with the pressure of measuring up to societal expectations comes the struggle within ourselves that this “goal” may not be exactly what we want in life. What if “having it all” means having no kids and focusing on our careers? Or being a stay-at-home parent who homeschools their children? No chosen path is wrong, yet we have been led to believe it is.

Any thoughts outside of society’s standards are immediately vilified and labeled as selfish. While we want to try to make our own way, women and men fall victim to feeling major guilt when our dreams differ from what is expected of us. It is a storyline that millions have struggled with, but find difficulty breaking free from. How do we become good enough, successful enough, strong enough to assuage this guilt? Although never easy, we must learn to challenge and change these expectations so that we can live our lives happy and (dare we say it?) guilt-free.

It begins with a simple indulgence. We need to come to terms with our own personal and career goals. The best way to figure this out is to write it down. What are our ultimate life goals? We need to take this time to be honest with ourselves and really think about what we want to accomplish in life. Whether it’s to own a business, start a family or pay off student loans, figuring out our goals is the first step in ending unnecessary societal expectations.

After the goals have been written down, it’s time to address the guilt. Guilt is a nuanced emotion that takes a lot of deep thinking to understand. Why do we feel guilty? It may be internal or it may be encouraged by other people, but guilt has long been the guiding factor in society’s expectations. Once we dig deep and work to understand who, why and what makes us feel guilty, we can learn to overcome it by consciously making an effort to focus on and achieve our goals. By following our passions, we open ourselves up to happiness, which in turn, will help put a stop to guilt.

Above all, we need to keep it in perspective. Knowing we lived our lives to our own expectations, and no one else’s, means we can have a happy, fulfilled life that will be an important lesson for all future generations to learn. We owe it to ourselves to show society that we can “have it all” – whatever we decide that “all” happens to mean!

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
Reader's Favorite Articles
  • Loretta Baylos from Ontario, CA, Cervical Cancer Advocate

    Ignite the Fight Against Cervical Cancer

    • 110
    • 12734
  • teen-violence and bullying

    3 Ways to Prevent Teen Violence

    • 81
    • 11282
  • Riverside's-Mission-Inn-Festival-of-Lights

    Christmas Lights in the Inland Empire

    • 61
    • 9394
  • Digital Magazine

    • 74
    • 8634
Adversiting
lewisfamily
New On Our Facebook
Advertising

Related posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Previous Post

A Gift for Grandparents

by WCM

Live Life with Your Own Expectations
Next Post

What Your Child’s Messy Backpack Tells You about Their Brain

by WCM

Live Life with Your Own Expectations
Instagram
    The user currently does not have any images...
Newsletter

Archives
Search
GET IN TOUCH

6939 Schaefer Ave., Ste D-138, Chino, CA 91710
909.390.5727 • info@wcmagazines.com

Copyright WestCoast Media. All rights reserved. www.wcmagazines.com Reproduction without permission is prohibited.