Expectations of Others

A friend visited me once in Los Angeles. He wanted me to drive him out to see the Pacific Ocean, since he had never seen an ocean before.

We got in my car and drove to a bluff overlooking the Pacific on a beautiful sunny day. My friend got out of the car, walked to the edge of the cliff, and stood in silence for a while - hands on his hips, just looking out at the vast expanse of gently rolling waves sparkling in the sunlight for hundreds and hundreds of miles.

Finally, he turned and said to me, “John, it’s not as big as I expected.” 

As we walked back to my car, I turned for a last look before we drove away. I may be wrong, but the Pacific Ocean seemed unfazed by its failure to meet my friend’s expectations.

There is a little practical lesson here on how silly it is to live and die on the expectations of others. The next time you’ve worked hard, done your best, and still find that someone is unhappy with you, remember the Pacific Ocean. It too had failed to meet someone’s expectations.

~ John Wooden on Expectations of Others.