I saw my neighbor leaving, he asked how I was and then said hurriedly, “I’m headed off to work, I’ve got to go.” He was rushing off as if his life depended on it.

People will often say something is very important to them yet do completely different things with their time.  I’ve learned to watch their actions over listening to their words.

Back to my neighbor.  Example #2 – He had expressed interest in helping Barack Obama get elected so I told him what I was doing and gave him the website for http://my.barackobama.com. Each time I would see him, he would say, “Yeah, I need to get involved.”

Song: This Way – Dilated Peoples featuring Kanye West

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What saddens me is that many people prioritize everyone else’s goals, values, expectations and ideals over their own. As children we prioritize our parents; as teens it’s our friends; adults put their employers first and once married, it’s your partner. If you have kids, it’s them until finally you come to the end of your life and then it’s God. Of course, this order can vary and many people are trying to juggle the expectations (or perceived expectations) of many.

I had a friend like this too. She would act as if the entire company would collapse if she did not get to work on time or come in on her days off when they asked her to. Talk about generating anxiety. I was caught up in this external approval seeking for a long time as well. Once I started journaling thoughts on a daily basis and setting daily and yearly goals, my life took focus and I prioritized what made me happy. Interestingly enough, others around me either faded from focus or new people came into my life who didn’t stress me out with monumental expectations. They just accepted me as I was. Life is much more enjoyable now, I get the right things done in my life that move me towards the goals I care about and most importantly, I live every day without regret.