One important thing I teach the athletes I work with is how to let go of, redefine and ultimately free yourself of expectations. So many athletes are especially weighed down by their own unrealistic expectations or the expectations of people important to them, like a coach or parent. Why is that a bad thing? Expectations are tied to our emotions. Do you know what that means? Since our expectations are rooted in emotions, they are very hard if not impossible to live up to. Why? Because emotions are fleeting. They ebb and flow like the waves, which can make them exhilarating one minute and absolutely crushing the next. Like my daughter (pictured) learning how to catch some waves at the beach this week. She was absolutely thrilled and squealing with delight when she was riding high on a wave, then would get immediately get hit in the face by the very next wave knocking her over after standing back up. Sometimes she would pop back up with determination and excitement, and other ...