Raise Your Expectations- Lesson From TV Show House of Cards

Michelangelo one time mentioned, “The greater danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

Life is about expectations! What are your exceptions? Do you put a limit on your capacity? Do you limit your potential? Potential had no limit; it was well said: " our potential is the God's gift to us, what we do with that potential is our gift to God."

I have written an article before about the no. 1 priority, that I was inspired by the speech of Total CEO Mr. Patrick Pouyanné, that he addresses during ADIPEC 2016 panel discussion, I asked the readers about their priorities by leaving them with five questions,

Does it have a new house?

Is it increasing the figures of your wealth? 

Is it ensuring better lifestyle for you and your family?

Is it increasing the quality of your life?

Does it have a better physical body?

Those questions were just to doubt your priorities to answer your gut of getting better goals.

I don't know how many of you watched the popular television show House of Cards, that newly launched the 5th season of that show, in the season 5 episode #2, the American President, played by Kevin Spacey revealed the secret of the former Vice President Matthews that he is a 'pens' dealer'. That inspired me to go back to Matthews's story with the Pen. That I am going to share it with you by showing you some of the videos from episode #7 of season one, then share the President speech from episode #2- season 5. that will help me to be clear in my message for you.

Episode #7, season 1

Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), was a congressman during that time, he did well in in managing the team to issue the Education Bill, then the US president Garett Walker during the announcement of the Bill gave the pen to Underwood, not the VP ( Matthews), it was a gesture of appreciation to Underwood's effort in developing the Bill.

The Vice President gets snubbed — no ceremonial pen for him — The VP is feeling weak and isolated, even he shared his frustration to the chief of staff;

his effort has been diverted to get a pen, in another word, he regretted that he didn't work hard on the Bill to get the pen, all that he wants is a pen.

Somehow you can be only a heartbeat away from being the most powerful man in the free world and be the weakest man in D.C. at the same time. Still, every one in life will get what he wants, I mean what he wants, and that VP all that he wants is a pen. During the show, he slips into the Oval Office ( the US president office) and swipes a pen from the desk.

Finally, he got the pen, indeed in a different way but he got it.

But that last as what he became branded for, that the President Underwood has called him the 'pens' dealer.'

The life Coach, Anthony Robbins during his life mastery session he shares, “If you raise your standards but don’t really believe you can meet them, you’ve already sabotaged yourself. You won’t even try; you’ll be lacking the sense of certainty that allows you to tap the deepest capacity that’s within you… Our beliefs are like unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what’s possible and impossible and what we can and can not do. They shape every action, every thought and every feeling that we experience. As a result, changing our belief systems is central to making any real and lasting change in our lives.”

I am repeating my questions for you.

What are your expectations? are you aware of your limits? do you limit your potential with resources, environment or capacity?

John C. Maxwell in his book "No Limits" that been newly released, had shared a nice childhood story "The Little Engine that Could" that the other boys (in the story) inspired by the act of their friend and through the caps over the wall and joined him. They didn’t want to be left behind.

Do you want to throw your own cap(s) over the wall too? Maxwell said “I still remember thinking, I would have thrown my cap over the wall, too. I wanted to go new places, make new discoveries, push myself to do more than I thought I could do. I still do. Sometimes achieving those desires requires bold commitment. Many times since the day I first heard that story, I’ve mentally thrown my cap over the wall to commit myself to growth discoveries."

Then he continues “I want to inspire you to blow off the caps that hold you down and limit your potential. I want to help you get outside of the nine-inch–frying pan mentality and expand your thinking and your ability. I want you to throw your cap over the wall. I want you to accept the capacity challenge and change your life. Are you willing to do that? If so, the process begins with awareness, with learning that: your capacity isn’t set, you can become aware of the possibilities that can make you better, you can remove the caps from your capacity, you can develop the capacities you already posses, you can make choices that maximize your possibilities.”

 We limited our choices in life, that what I had shared before due to one psychological theory called Endowment effect, that " People ascribe more value to things merely because they Own them" may be that is behind the reason why we limit our choices to things that we knew, that is limiting our expectations as well.

Every time my colleagues asked me what’s make you successful? I answered after Allah blessing, is the exposure, I don’t limit my references, I always try something new, exposed to new connections, exposed to new ideas, to new knowledge, since success is not but a continues growth.

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain" our mind as a human developed to survive, but successful people think differently, they develop their way to success.

When we asked to develop our annual target (Goals) in work we had been asked to be SMART, which means:

S – Specific: Be clear and unambiguous when setting your goal. Don’t leave room for guessing.

M – Measurable: Set a goal that allows you measurement toward your goals progress.

A – Attainable: Ask yourself, “Is this realistic and attainable?” If not, back to the drawing board.

R – Relevant: Create a goal with importance and meaning. Make sure the effort is worth it to you.

T – Time-bound: Commit to a deadline. Open-ended goals tend to go forgotten.

but in life, we may never set and put plan for our life; one of the speakers one time shared "that people spent more time to plan their annual vacation more than designing their plan for life"

Finally, I always keep in my mind that our life has a limit, that we been created in this life to worship for Allah, that our endeavor in the life have to be the asset we have that will support us in the hereafter that is a sound heart, that should be our real wealth, which been mentioned in Quran, by the pray of Prophet Ibrahim:

“And do not disgrace me on the Day they are resurrected, The Day when neither wealth nor children will help, Except for him who comes to God with a sound heart.”

  وَلا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ يُبْعَثُونَ * يَوْمَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ