"Somehow or other I always lose my guide halfway up the mountain, and he becomes my child. Even my father. I do not think I am looking for a man, but for a God," Anais Nin writes in her October, 1933 entry of the Diary. She has found several people in her life who play various roles and meet various needs, but no one person is all she needs. She needs attention; she needs understanding, encouragement, appreciation, security. She feels she gives these things to others all the time, but no one knows how to give them back to her. This leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation, bitterness, resentment. She is aware that she asks too much of people, that they give as much as they can, but she still feels deep disappointment.
How do we keep unmet expectations from letting us down? Is it a matter of managing our expectations? It seems that expectations are closely tied to hopes and dreams, and it does no good to stop hoping and dreaming, does it? What would life be like without envisioning our life, our future, our desires?
No comments:
Post a Comment