download mp3 audio track
“Expect people to be better than they are; it helps them become better. But don’t be disappointed when they don’t; it helps them keep trying” (Mary Brown).
Our expectations are powerful forces that act on other people’s lives. High expectations draw people upward; Low expectations pull them down. We must be careful what we expect from others. What we expect is often what we get.
The suggestion that we should expect the best from those around us is often met with skepticism, if not sarcasm. Some people will say, “Hoping for the best is foolish.” I well remember a college teacher who said to me, “Gary, no one ever underestimated the ignorance of the human race.” He said it humorously, cheekily, but I’m afraid there are a lot of people who will say this and not be joking at all. In fact, most people think skepticism is the safest path to follow: “Expect the worst, and then if something better happens, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
But whatever safety there may be in skepticism, I don’t know of any world-class artists in any field who take this approach. Vince Lombardi would never have said to his football players, “Now, guys, I don’t really expect you to play up to your potential, but if you do, that’ll be OK. I’ll take it as a pleasant surprise.” No, high achievers around the world have always expected the best – both for themselves and for those with whom they collaborated.
The truth is that it is not foolish to expect the best from others, especially your friends and family. The best others can offer may not be perfect, but whatever their best is, they are able to offer that to the world, and it is not unrealistic to expect them to do so.
We are inspired by “great expectations” (to borrow Charles Dickens’s phrase). They give us energy to “go after good things.” And so it makes sense to do three things: (1) nurture high expectations of ourselves, (2) surround ourselves with friends who keep our expectations high, and (3) influence others to expect high things for themselves. It is wise to encourage in every way Hope In the hearts of our fellow travelers. It is the greatest of all gifts, and it is responsible for many of the best things in life.
“A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, however, awakens your own expectations” (Patricia Neal).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
