Sunshine and Olly

photos and text by Theo Blaustein

Today I want to talk about expectations.

Everyone has them, and they can weigh heavy.

What you expect from others and yourself can determine how you see the world. (If you have no expectations, you’re either Gandhi or a bum.)

Of late I’ve fallen prey to the opposite.

I keep comparing myself to the version of me before I got sick.

Wanting to be just like him, or just as I was.

But I’m not, I’ve changed whether I like it or not.

And that can be difficult to navigate.

I feel other’s expectations on who I should be, and it sucks.
Sometimes the external pressures of the world influence us more than we’d like to admit.

But, my friend gave me a great piece of advice today. Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.

It’s pretty simple if you think about it.

Everyone changes, and if you can surround yourself with people who can adapt with you, you will be happier.

But you also have to be kind to yourself.

Life is hard, and sometimes we can take ourselves for granted.

I fall prey to this all the time.

I brush off my accomplishments as what I should do, and not what I’ve achieved.

It can be tricky to balance how you see yourself with how others see you.

But that’s ok.

Cut yourself some slack… seriously.

I know things can be overwhelming at times, but I promise you’re doing amazing.

Take it from a sick kid living on a horse farm in the middle of nowhere.

You’re doing great, keep up the good work!