(essay)

From a very young age, we are told that we need to be “correct.” Study well, obey, achieve, meet someone else’s idea of success. We grow up guided by others’ expectations, often unaware that they may not align with our true desires.

Expectations are a trap. They make us strive not for what makes us happy, but for what society approves. We graduate from a “promising” university, work at a “prestigious” job, create the “right” family. But then, why do so many people who have all of this feel empty?

Because true joy doesn’t come from meeting standards, but from what resonates with you personally. Some are happy in a large company, while others are content in solitude. Some enjoy a career in a big corporation, while others prefer growing flowers in their own garden. And none of this is wrong, if it’s yours.

Life becomes easier when you start asking yourself, “What do I want?” Not your family, not your friends, not society — but you. The answer may surprise you. But it will definitely be more honest than any expectation.

“So, what do you want?”