You don’t need them to be anything

One of the ways I take myself out emotionally is by believing I need people to be happy, kind, generous, intuitive, wise, and thoughtful all the time. But, of course, everyone in my life can’t always be this way, so this expectation sets me up for disappointment and frustration.

My way back to my center is by focusing on who I want to be for them rather than who I need them to be for me. Instead of needing someone to be a mind reader, I can focus on lovingly asking for what I want. Instead of being frustrated with someone for being frustrated, I can offer them compassion, as I know what it feels like to feel that way.

One of the byproducts of giving others grace and focusing on being of service is that it helps me be kinder to myself when I am having a tough time too.

Since we know they will happen, what if we could see one another’s inevitable imperfections as opportunities to become more open-hearted rather than judgmental?