Spainful Expectations

Hello , dear reader! As you can probably tell by the picture and the title I am an avid FIFA fan. FIFA month for me is all about sitting down with the famjam, screaming with happiness when the team we are rooting for scores, and booing the contending opponents.

It's a family affair.

Needless to say when June 12 hit the entire Iqbal house was extremely excited and pumped for the event. The first match, Brazil vs. Croatia, was pretty good for us since we were supporting Brazil for that specific game, but the same cannot be said about today's match. Spain vs. Netherlands.

It was indeed a shocking score, 5-1 Netherlands. #Spainful

To make matters more interesting, this match was a reminiscence of the 2010 FIFA final. Spain won that one though #eatSpanishdustRobben! And I assume it was because of that victory that we were expecting the Spanish to come out on top once more.

Of course, the match was a disappointing one, but that got me thinking. Was it fair for me to be so harsh in my judgement of the Spanish team and their efforts? It's not like I knew them personally or something. I was just another fan divided by water, land, and technology, voicing my opinion loudly from behind the screen.

It was an opening match, it's not like they were going to get disqualified or anything. So, why was I expecting such an outstanding performance and more importantly why did I feel that  the Spanish owed me the performance of their life?

Here's the thing, dear reader, expectations that we have for others are unfair. I strongly support this statement because I have been victim to it. I have spent such a substantial amount of time fulfilling the expectations other have for me that I have forgotten to fulfill the ones I had set for myself.

In satisfying those around me I have neglected myself thoroughly.

Although, sometimes we are obligated to fulfill the expectations that are laid out for us. For example, parents are expected to be nurturing and loving towards their children and that too rightly so. I'm not talking about those expectations, dear reader, I am talking about the expectations that are...extra.

It doesn't make sense that in midst of building our expectations for another we completely forget to account for the fact that that person is a human too. He/She has dreams, aspirations, feelings, and wants and you are the brick wall preventing him/her from fulfilling that.

Evaluate yourself, dear reader. Are you a brick wall?

I want to leave you with this thought.

You must be careful, as a person in a position of power, in how you set the boundaries of expectations for the ones dependent on you. For it is during such time that the humanity of your heart means the most.

isheeza