Profundity

The most important question of the year is shaping up to be some iteration of

Have I made my expectations/needs/wants so perfectly clear that I can actually justify this rage I am feeling due to the offending party/ies falling short?

Since I fulfilled my somewhat ringer New Years' resolutions so completely and successfully, this has been the point of personal improvement that has come up most often, in a variety of situations, throughout the year. It has been especially galling because this is usually the first question that I ask others, when personal relationships seem to be veering off course and they are seeking advice/comfort. Naturally, my own righteous short-temperedness suffers upon closer examination of my behavior in the context of this vital question.

Probably the most important realization I have ever made is that people are not mind readers. Such a simple epiphany, but one, even after having been struck, that is not always easy to consider in terms of one's daily conduct. Since I want the whole world to revolve around my needs and desires, this obvious truth can be maddeningly difficult to accept, especially during fits of pique.

I continue striving to remember this one simple fact and behave according to my favorite advice.

It is quite a struggle.

Some, including myself, would whine that asking for certain things/behaviors diminishes or negates the value of achieving the desired result. While I can't deny that I feel this way about any number of things that make me feel cared-for and loved, I also can't deny that practicing the "if others truly want to please me they would/could figure out what I want" method leaves many opportunities for satisfaction on the table. Therefore, in an attempt to convert from a shrew with unreasonably high expectations for the world to a universally beloved and contented person, I am trying to explicitly state my specific wishes, in hopes of capturing the surplus happiness that has thus far gone untapped.

We'll see how it goes.