One comes in the end to realize that there is no permanent pure relationship and there should not be.
--Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Whether we are teenagers in love for the first time, or parents who have been married for twenty years, relationships can turn into obsessions if we're not careful.
We can lose our sense of self and only feel complete when we're with the other person. We can become totally attached and dependent on the primary person in our lives for all our needs.
We need to remember that we can be a good partner in a relationship only if we feel complete within ourselves. Keeping ourselves open to change in our surroundings, our loved ones, and especially ourselves helps us stay whole.
We learn, first, to be ourselves, to make independent choices. We dare to do things on our own. Things as simple as going for a walk by ourselves and smelling the scents of nature. Being ourselves means bringing our own world to meet the world of our loved ones, rather than depending on them to make our world.
Am I making my own happiness so I may share it with others?
A higher standard
If things are not working well for you where you are, raise yourself to a higher place. Choose to raise your standards.
Consistently expect more of yourself and you will get it. The quality of your life is driven by the quality of your standards.
Are your efforts not bringing the results you seek? Then find a way to improve, enhance and expand those efforts.
Yes, you can do it. There's always room for improvement, and with each little improvement you raise your standards and become more effective.
Don't fall into the trap of blaming the economy, the weather, other people, or cruel fate. Step up from where you are to a higher place, and commit to making a better life for all those around you.
Align yourself with your highest, most authentic purpose. Life will always meet your standards, so raise those standards high.
-- Ralph Marston
