By 40, many of us have experienced being on multiple sides of expectation-acceptance dance.
Many of us had childhoods that were defined by the expectations of others. We saw how their acceptance and approval of us was often determined - or withheld - by how much we met their expectations, or how much we resisted and went against them.

And this social reward/punishment system continued into multiple aspects our adult lives, whether we are known by a few hundred people, or by a few million.

Those of us who are fans of sports believe in the power of athletic competition, and the personalities and performances of athletes to tell a story of who we are, individually and collectively. So as U.S. 2023 World Championship Gold Medal sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson reclaimed the attention and applause of the world this month, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what we've learned at this stage in our lives from the times we've been the one placed on a pedastal, knocked off the pedastal, and fighting for the chance to get back on top of the pedastal once again.

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