Question: What can you do if you repeatedly fail to live up to your expectations of yourself?

Sri Chinmoy: There is only one thing that you can do and that is to try again and again. You say that you have failed repeatedly, and that you have some higher expectations for yourself. But even if you fail again and again, do not give up. If you give up, then immediately you will be taken not only back to the starting point, but infinitely further back, behind your starting point. So if you give up, then you immediately go back far beyond your imagination. If you strive, if you hope, then eventually a day comes when you will be able to fulfil yourself. Expectation is hope, and hope is the harbinger of light.

Why are you not able to fulfil your expectations? Because your cry is not yet intense. It is not yet constant. So, what can you do? You have to make your cry conscious, constant and spontaneous. If you do that, then only you will be able to meet with your expectations. At that time, the petals of your hope-flower will blossom into the reality-flower itself. What you have now are hope-petals, but they are not blossoming. But if you continuously, soulfully and unreservedly make an effort, then the hope-petals without fail will blossom into reality-flowers.