Standards

By Cassie - Her blog is Live.Laugh.L0ve. You can learn more about her here. You can read all posts from Cassie here.   



I recently read a post that disturbed me on so many levels. But the main thing that that bothered me was how high this person's standards were for other people. I've learned not to set standards for people - I know that sounds bad. But really just think about that for a second.


When you don't have standards for other's you expect nothing in return. Your doing whatever for them because deep inside you genuinely want too, regardless of what they are going to do for you.


It makes me wonder if people stopped setting standards for others - how many people would actually do things for other people when they were getting nothing in return? How many people wouldn't be bothered or get their feelings hurt that they were getting nothing back? Can you imagine how beautiful that would be?


A world of people helping others because they just want to. A world of people helping others without the expectation of anything back for it. I used to have standards for people a long time ago, I will be the first to admit that. I assumed that because I was doing something for them, whatever it was that I should get something in return from them. I stopped doing this when I realized that I wasn't just helping because I wanted too - I was helping because I expected something in return and when I didn't get it I became disappointed and thought, that wasn't fair I helped them or I gave them something or whatever the case may be.


And one day about a year ago - it just hit me that.was.wrong. on all levels. If I'm helping someone, I want it to be from the bottom of my heart, I want it to be with no expectations, with no standards. I want to do it because I feel it's right in my heart.


If you didn't set standards for people - that they couldn't live up to, think of how easy it would be to love that person. I hate standards. Because standards lead people to believe they aren't good enough when they aren't lived up too. 


& Please don't mistake this - I know there are some people who need standards set for them because other wise they will literally do nothing, but many people don't - were only to give them a chance.


Today my challenge for you - Do something for someone without any expectation that you should get anything in return. Put standards aside and do something for someone because you know should do it. The feeling you have afterwards when you know you did it because you really just want to do it - it is undescribeable.