There are billions of people on this planet.
We all have different needs and different expectations.
If you have a disability, you will also know that your disability is fluid. Capacity moves and flows differently day to day.
No system is going to meet you where you are every single day, every single time.
Not every person you meet is going to be the perfect person you need in that moment.
People are flawed.
They are learning. We are learning.
Depending on age and lived experience, your expertise or bias will influence how you do your social work.
People harm each other. We just do. Sometimes we do it intentionally; sometimes unintentionally. No system is going to be perfect.
People aren’t perfect. Therefore, human systems aren’t perfect. Therefore, there will be gaps in needs being met. It is inevitable that people will harm people.
If you are burning out, ask yourself. What is the narrative in your head? What are you telling yourself about the way things should be? What aspect do you feel is so wrong? Is it realistic? What evidence do you have that things actually work like that? That people are capable of that?
Luckily, our brains are wired for optimism, and we don’t give up easily. We keep trying.
Managing our expectations can HUGELY impact our emotional and mental health.
It can help us give people grace and forgive people for just being human.