Back when I read Now, Discover Your Strengths, the one idea that stuck with me was that working with one's strengths is a faster road to success than fixating on your weaknesses. Not only do I agree with that sentiment, but I also think it applies when dealing with others.

Instead of trying to make other people different than what they are or getting frustrated by their weaknesses, I think it's best to concentrate on their strengths and to work with what you have. Even in the personal context. You get one Mom and one Dad. Learn to work with what you have, find a way to make it work for you.

I think if we all spent our energy on optimizing our strengths, while slowly but steadily improving our weaknesses and learned to take people as they are and work with them, life would be considerably easier. Often times, people disappoint us so much more because of our expectations of them as opposed to anything they actually do.

Imagine if we stopped expecting and just took what we got.