You feel a lot of love for someone and they do not take it. What do you do?
Get frustrated
Turn the love into hatred and wish for revenge
Again and again remind them how much you love them and how little they love you
Become fussy and cranky
Throw tantrums
Feel humiliated and try to protect your respect
Resolve never to love again
Feel hurt and mistreated
Try to be indifferent.
You have seen that none of these work! They only make it worse.
What is the way out of this? How can you maintain your lovingness?
Have patience.
Be centred and limit your expression of love. Sometimes over expression of love puts people off.
Change your expression of love.
Take it for granted that they love you and accept their style of expression.
Like a mother with three kids -one child talks, one child does not talk, one child throws tantrums - her love for each child is constant regardless of their behaviour.
Genuinely acknowledge their love for you. This will turn your demand into gratefulness, and the more you are grateful in life, the more love comes your way.
Know that hurt is part of love and take responsibility for it.
Realise that when you move away from your centre, you will feel miserable and that the nature of worldliness is misery.
Excerpts from the book An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar www.artofliving.org