Life stages
Go to school. Go to work. Get married. Have children. Rest and die.
Sounds ideal, doesn't it?
This is the default blueprint designed for us by society and handed down by our parents.
I don't have anything against that path; it's great if it's genuinely wanted. I would just emphasize that this is often not what we choose.
As humans we take our space and time. No one else can design our life on our behalf, and if they try, it is usually to fill gaps in their own life:
"You will be the best X ever. I couldn't do that because I had to raise you."
"You must come in first in the math competition so I can be proud of you and tell my friends."
"I wasn't good at Y, so you won't be good at it either."
Many people are living a life that does not reflect who they really are, and they end up passing those expectations onto their children. It isn't entirely their fault, it's an inherited script from society and their own parents.
It’s up to us to break the chain and build a life that aligns with who we actually are.