Expecting too much of the most promising among us. My Greatest Personal Failure. S. Loving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-FWSym4O8g

My greatest personal failing is expecting too much of the few promising souls that I've encountered in my life.  Never for a nano second was this intentional, just like, who intentionally stomps on the foot of someone they’re attempting to dance with?  But it may inflict no less pain as a consequence of it being unintentional. 

Every promising soul I've yet encountered I've expected too much of. 

And when I say ‘expected of,’ I do not mean in terms of thinking they are accountable to me; thinking that they should consider what I think important.  That's not the mistake. 

But the mistake is mis-estimating by me, that causes destructive levels of tension within the individual and causes suboptimal use of time on my part.  If I understand how fast a row of corn should grow, that can be helpful because if I see it growing more slowly than it should I have a chance of taking effective remedy, actions.  But if my expectations are too high of that row of corn, beyond what is possible, than my actions may well be destructive of that row of corn; and result in the misuse of the time I've been given to serve.  That's the mistake that I’ve constantly made.

I must become much quicker at more frequently asking the questions of myself regarding the promising individuals, should I ever encounter another one - what is their core character?  A question I so rarely, so infrequently I’ve thought to ask myself of these others.  Using the Personal Trainer, how can they be evaluated.  And, the newest question for me and maybe the most promising is - to what degree are they ‘the rich young man’ that there is something, anything, and if so what thing, will they choose above the well-being of humanity, above their own soul, above their own joy, above the well-being of creation?

If I can find within myself enough love of others, of these promising others, to become better at this, I'll do less damage to them, waste less of their time, and waste less of the time that I've been given for the service of all humanity, and for the service of all creation.