Let us then imagine that our and others? personalities are half-finished paintings. Let us perceive general state of society and world around as a painting in progress.

Yes, there are many weaknesses, faults and aspects to be improved in those paintings. But they are what they can and should be for their incomplete stage. A painting must pass through a series of stages until it is finally completed. Each of these stages is a perfect part of that process of completion. No stage could be skipped or avoided.

Thus, we and those around us are "perfect" at every stage of that process of completion. We and everything around us is at a stage in process of perfection. Even our imperfections are a perfect temporary part of our movement towards perfection.

When we perceive ourselves and others as unfinished paintings, we will have patience and understanding for our mutual weaknesses and faults. We will perceive them as parts of our being which need to be worked on in process of manifesting our perfect being, which is waiting latent within us to become a reality.

The same of course holds for those around us who are in a process of perfecting their unfinished paintings.

The Bud and Flower

A flower bud does not yet manifest its latent beauty. Yet we do not reject, criticize or condemn it. We realize that it is in a process and that it is what it needs to be now in order to become flower which it is destined to be. We accept it is as it is and wait patiently for its blossoming.

In same way we need to perceive ourselves and others as:

1. Paintings in process of completing ourselves. 2. Buds becoming flowers 3. Souls in process of evolution.

We all deserve love and respect exactly as we are.

Our life purpose, however, is to attend to process of evolution and self-perfection until we blossom into magnificent and totally conscientious and loving beings that we are destined to be.

(Adapted from "The Psychology of Happiness" by Robert Najemy available at http://www.Amazon.com and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com. This book and other writings can be viewed at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com where you can also download FREE articles and e-books.)

Now Peter and children have become even more lazy and rebellious. They subconsciously feel need to do even less. They frequently subconsciously ignore agreements that they have made with her. These are subconscious reactions to pressure and rejection they are feeling from Katherine.

Now everyone is feeling victimized. Katherine is victim of their laziness and irresponsibility, and they are victims of her bitterness, rejection and anger.

A change

As a result, Katherine is now ill. She is exhausted, in poor health, and in need of support from her family both in dealing with her illness and in getting things done around home. She asks for help, but no one can hear her. There is no space in their minds for an "ill super-woman".

They love her and care for her, but they can not hear her needs. She had never expressed weakness, fear or inability before, and this is just so foreign that they feel so uncomfortable, and cannot respond.

Katherine feels doubly hurt and abused. For so many years, she had taken care of all their needs, and now that she needs them, no one is responding.

What could they have all done to avoid this situation? What lessons do they need to learn?

Katherine: Does she need to learn that she is worthy of love and respect even if she is not a super woman? Or that she does not help others when she does their work for them or does not let them carry their own responsibilities? Perhaps she needs to learn to have faith in others? abilities or to allow others to grow through their mistakes. Does she need to learn to express her needs without complaining or accusing, and believe that it is natural that others will want to support her in fulfilling her needs? Perhaps she needs to learn how to rest when she is tired, even when everything in not perfect around her.

Peter: Is his lesson to believe in himself and his intelligence and abilities? Or could it be that his self-worth is not measured by his achievements but rather by his heart and his character? Does he need to learn to motivate himself and offer more? Does he need to work on his childhood years and free himself from false programming?

The others: Perhaps they need to learn to be more responsible and energetic in their responsibilities and work. Perhaps they ought to look at Katherine?s needs, ignore her complaints and accusations, and help her out even when she does not have faith in how they will do it. They might also need to learn to hear and respond to her needs even when she cannot express them.

What do you think?

(Adapted from forthcoming "Relationships of Conscious Love" by Robert Elias Najemy. His book "The Psychology of Happiness" (ISBN 0-9710116-0-5) is available at http://www.amazon.com and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com. His writings can be viewed at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com where you can also download FREE articles and e-books.