Pressure and Expectations

Pressure and expectations, it seems that no matter where I’m at or what I am doing I face these two. As a teen growing up in today’s media and technological world I feel swarmed at times. The media expects teen girls to look and act a certain way. Just glance at the magazines at the checkout counter; they are covered in beautiful women. And if you glance at any TV for more than two minutes you’ll find that at least one of the main characters is a knockout. The pressure is there for guys too – to be buff and athletic and manly rather than the sensitive type. Society thinks that everyone should look like a celebrity.
This pressure though is more than just the media playing with us. We are also pressured by our peers to look and act a certain way so that we fit it. Everyone wants to be cool and popular. It’s why high school is known for its clics and drama. And as adults we are constantly judged on our appearance in the office or out on the town we want to look good and associate with people who look good.
There is pressure at school. Each of my professors have different expectations from me – and not all of them are reasonably feasible. This week I have had over twenty pages of writing to do and it’s not stuff that I have procrastinated on. Next week I have two major tests and plenty of other random stuff from school to keep me busy .Now however, I’m forced to put off some things till a later date – but who knows when I’ll have time. I’m expected to get everything done and yet I feel there aren’t enough hours in the day. I want to do my best and am pressured to meet everyone’s expectations and yet I’m not sure how too. I’ll bet there are several others there who feel the same.
Work also can be a source of pressure. I’m in charge of the backroom at work so I’m expected to work extra hours have greater flexibility and bust through freight like it’s nobody’s business. I love my job and most weeks everything goes smoothly but then there are those times that I feel like I’m one person expected to do the job of three.
Of course there are always other things expected of me and there always will be. What I try to do is to balance it out. And yet it is weeks like these that make me wonder why there is so much pressure for so many things? What makes people expected great things from others or pressure them to be a certain way? Maybe one day I’ll find out but for now I’ll just keep chugging along.