It’s been shattered completely.
As if someone dropped a crystal vase from the second story window. Splinters of larger pieces are littered in a way some would call a large blast radius. It amazes me how far the slivers of broken dreams can travel.
But who dropped it? Who took the dreams of so many and plummeted them to the hard cold ground in a way that the original cannot even be recognized? Who took that dream and scattered it to the wind and then turned their back on it – walking away without even as much as a glimpse back over their shoulder?
You did.
Sadly though – you have no idea it was of your own doing. While you point fingers and harden yourself to what ‘life’ and ‘others’ have done to you, not once do you think to look at what you have done to destroy your own dreams. This is more than taking responsibility. This is acknowledgement. This is understanding. In your destruction you have also managed to destroy the dreams for thousands of others. Not everyone has the strength needed to keep their dreams. Many look for leadership or view actions to understand what lies ahead. Now we have become a nation of broken dreams.
The princesses of the world lowered their expectations and settled for someone other than their prince. Whether they were impatient, tired or confused, they took a lesser road. Maybe in their convoluted vision they believed they could shape and mold this person to be the prince they had dreamed about. But no matter what outfit you dress them in they have never risen to your expectations – because you lowered yourself to theirs. So now the lesser standards become the norm. While the next princess sees that they don’t have to wait for their prince… they can settle. The process continues and the standard once again is lowered.
But the fault does not lie only on the shoulders of the princesses.
The princes of the world placed their armor in the closet and gave up on polishing it to the highest shine. They forgot what it was like to fight for the princess; to go to battle in her honor. They locked themselves and their dreams in a dungeon of despair because they didn’t understand the change that was placed before them. They took advice from those who were easy to listen to instead of seeking out true knowledge from the greats.
The second we lowered our expectations of others – the moment we accepted lower standards, we lowered expectations of ourselves.
This is how the mighty have crumbled. This is how battles have been lost.
I don’t believe in expecting more of others – I believe in demanding it. There is a right path – there is a powerful truth and it is laden with honor and integrity. Is that path hard for you? Is it painful? Maybe at first – but you quickly find out how rewarding and easy it is to do what is good and just.
I’m looking down at the pieces of shattered glass, broken dreams and promises, spewed in so many directions and I know that my dream, my fairytale, is still intact. I refuse to lower my expectations. What about you?
