If your expectations are too unrealistic, then you will only make yourself unhappy. Don’t be angry or resentful. Life is not always fair. Accept the situation for the time being. Instead of bemoaning your fate, consider instead how you can be of service and make a contribution. You cannot force other people to love you; you can only behave with love toward them. Act with honor and dignity. Hold yourself to the highest standards. Take pride in your work. Believe in yourself even if others do not currently recognize you. By staying true to your own ideals and not allowing your self-worth to be determined by the opinion of others, you will gain inner strength and obtain inner freedom.

All human RELATIONSHIPS are subject to upsets and misunderstandings. But if a relationship is truly important to you, you should be able to see past them. Keep your mind fixed on the long run and do not allow short-run disturbances to wreak havoc in your life.  RELATIONSHIPS take work. Be kind and generous. In the long run, the slights and upsets we suffer at the hands of others are as nothing compared to our own sense of ourselves. If we do not love and respect ourselves, the praise and recognition of others will not heal our inner wounds. If we believe in and respect ourselves, it matters less what others think of us.  Then the slights and indignities we suffer are like momentary disturbances on the surface of a lake by a storm. The water on the surface is shaken about, but the deeper waters are undisturbed.

I CHING

I hope in my relationships with others I have not offended anyone with unrealistic expectations because at times I can lose faith in myself.    r. winnegrad

Categories: PERSPECTIVES Philosophical Perspective

ron winnegrad

Ron Winnegrad has been a Perfumer and teacher for 46 years. As a perfumer, Ron has been able to express the world he sees through a rainbow of olfactive and emotive visions. As a teacher, Ron has helped others to see fragrance through his own multi sensorial lens.