When Rousseau said that man is born free but lives in chains, he knew that most of those chains are self-imposed. We feel like we are a slave to so many things…to money; to expectations of family, friends, or bosses (or our perceptions of those expectations); to what we think we need for a “normal” life. Free yourself from those shackles. Do not be bound by doing things for others’ satisfaction. Learn to say no. Say no to material objects, to projects you don’t want, or to people who do not build you up. Surround yourself with positivity and a can-do attitude. You are more free than you think. You just need to act on it.
Tag: expectations
Expectations when at the top and at the bottom
These two sayings are slightly related, but are coming from opposite ends of the spectrum.
The first is a slightly modified saying from Shakespeare. “Heavy is the head that wears the 👑 ,” refers to the weight of responsibility that one feels being the leader.
This saying can also be interpreted as having so much expected of you when you’re “at the top.” In sports, you can see this at the team level when the opponents bring their “A” game to every matchup of the previous season’s championship winner. The defending champs have to bear the weight that comes with high expectations.
The other quote is from Gary Vaynerchuck. He says that “being underestimated is a gift.” In this case, you don’t have expectations from others placed on you and your responsibilities may be limited. Take advantage of this because you are able to work in the dark. It’s so much easier to exceed expectations and to impress when you are underestimated.
Regardless of where you are in this spectrum (the boss/leader wearing the crown or the new employee starting at the bottom of the totem pole), put on your blinders and go to work. Focus on what you can control and execute that to the best of your ability. If you do the right thing long enough and consistently enough, eventually you can work your way to the top.