Brain Gain 2 - The Weight of Expectations

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This blog is about the experiences of one individual and may therefore not be representative of the average person, but nevertheless there are important points of self-reflection. After all, the solution to any problem, big or small, starts with self-reflection.

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Born with traits perfectly suited to the people around me. My best talents are more often utilized by others than by me. Evaluating myself, I often think about the consequences of my actions on the future of the people surrounding me. Maybe it is exactly what sets me apart from the rest. As a little boy, you don't think about success and you are pure in your character. What you're good at is innate and the amount of good things you do is determined by your mentality in combination with your life situation.

What are you good at and what do you do well? Being good at things quickly formed the image in my life that I was doing well. Small successes became bigger achievements until I felt I could handle the whole world. With this self-confidence, I did everything with conviction. Soon my belief that I could succeed at everything spread to the people around me creating an environment where it was no longer about what I could do, but what I couldn't. Or at least this is what I expected people to think. Perhaps the idea that people have come to expect a lot from me is a reflection of what I have come to expect from myself. Perhaps, and most likely, the people closest to me don't expect as much as I expect from myself. I had to grow up early in life. If you ask people if I am sensible, the answer is a no rather than a yes. I cycle through a red light, I sleep too late and I may spend money too quickly on short-term pleasures. Adulthood consists of responsibility, prudence and independence. In terms of responsibility and independence, I have had to grow quickly to deal with my surroundings. In the field of prudence I have always allowed my life a little bit of freedom, but as I got older and prudence started to become a more important aspect of adulthood I felt the times when I can be a bit reckless lessen. One day I hope I can use my qualities more for myself so that I myself can create a safe environment where I can make well-deserved mistakes. Nobody is perfect, in fact, everyone is entitled to and needs room for mistakes.

Young Self-portrait