Dear Danielle,

It is always a mixed blessing when people have high expectations of us. On the one hand, it is a compliment that they think so highly of us; on the other hand, it can be almost impossible to live up to those expectations all the time.

It is important to remember that we all have strengths and weaknesses. It is great that you are able to do so well in school, but that doesn’t mean that you can achieve that level of success in all areas of life. While it is important for others to realize that, it is even more important for you to have realistic expectations of yourself. Otherwise you may feel like a lot of things that you do aren’t good enough.

It is important to be accepting of trying your best and knowing that you will not always be successful. Sometimes when you are an excellent student, you and/or others around you may expect that same level of success in other areas as well. So the next time someone has unrealistic expectations of you, use your intelligence and explain to them that no one’s great at everything and ask for them to cut you some slack.