Mimi and Eunice webcomic from ninapaley.com
I tend to see such great potential everywhere I go; in my family and our relationships, in my students and where they can go with their dance, in the people in my life and how we might end up being great friends, and even in locations and how they can be transformed into something totally different and new. Maybe this is that ‘glass half full’ syndrome, maybe I just prefer to try to see what something can be, instead of just what it is. So much potential, in everything and everyone.
I have found that this is both a blessing, and a curse. Because I see so much potential, and think of how great people and things can be, I am led to have great expectations of both myself, and everything around me. When those expectations are not met, I feel incredibly sad, and frequently frustrated. This used to be a huge problem for me, as I felt I was constantly being let down or I put lots of undue stress on myself to try to met all those expectations I had made for myself in my head.
As I get older I am finding that I can let go of the expectations more easily, and while I still see potential everywhere, when my expectations are not met, I tend to shrug it off more and more with each passing year. I am still saddened when friendships don’t pan out, when events go less than optimally, and when students drop out of class, but I do find that I am far more accepting of the outcome. I consider this a pretty big breakthrough for myself.
NEXT MAJOR STEP: I need to work on seeing my own potential, and trying to attain it. I can do it. I can do it!
More good tips on potential here.