The Weight of Expectations.

 

There’s a heaviness that follows you quietly, almost invisibly, like a shadow that refuses to lift. It’s the weight of expectations, societal, familial, personal, the constant pressure to be enough, do enough, achieve enough, and never show the cracks in your armor. It whispers relentlessly: “You must perform. You must succeed. You cannot falter.”

Living under this weight is exhausting. Every choice feels scrutinized, every step measured, every emotion analyzed. You begin to question yourself constantly: Am I good enough? Am I doing enough? Am I the version of myself that everyone expects me to be? And slowly, almost imperceptibly, your heart begins to ache, not from external failure, but from the internal strain of trying to be what others need you to be while neglecting what you need for yourself.

Expectations can be invisible chains. They shape your decisions, dictate your actions, and silently erode your peace. They make you fear judgment, rejection, and disappointment. And even when you meet them, even when you succeed, the relief is fleeting, because another expectation quietly appears, another standard to uphold, another measure of worth imposed upon you.

But here’s the truth: you are not defined by the expectations of others. Your value is not contingent on meeting deadlines, fulfilling roles, or living according to someone else’s blueprint. Freedom begins the moment you recognize that the world’s demands do not dictate your happiness, your purpose, or your peace. It begins when you allow yourself to say: “I am enough as I am. I will honor my own heart first.”

Letting go of expectations is not easy. It can feel rebellious, selfish, or even scary. But it is transformative. It is a quiet revolution inside yourself, one that allows your soul to breathe, your mind to rest, and your heart to realign with what truly matters. It is in letting go that you find space to create, to heal, to live authentically. It is in releasing the weight that you discover the lightness of being unapologetically yourself.

So if you feel crushed by what the world or even yourself, expects, know that it’s okay to step back, to pause, to refuse the pressure for a while. It does not make you weak. It makes you human. It makes you brave. Because in choosing yourself over endless expectations, you are learning the most profound truth: that your worth is inherent, untouchable, and undeniable.

💌 Family, I’m so excited to share this with you. My newest book, A Heart Made for Holding, is now published. It’s the first in The Hands that Carry Us Series, and it holds a story so close to my heart, one I know many of you will see yourselves in.

But this isn’t my only work. I’ve also published Somewhere Along the Way, I Stopped Living for Myself and Started Living for the People Who Don’t Even See Me, and The Awakening of Readiness. Each book carries its own heartbeat, one about honesty and heartbreak, the other about stepping into change when your spirit finally feels ready.

And now, with A Heart Made for Holding, we begin a series that will continue with more books to come.

All of these are available right now on Amazon, just search the titles, and you’ll find them there.

For anyone who has ever carried too much, loved in silence, or survived when survival itself felt like defiance, these books are for you.