How honest are you with your expectations of yourself, of others, of what you have? It is in our nature to be drawn to the shiny and the new. We can be careless with what we already have. But there is one unassailable truth that we must remember: nearly everything degenerates if not cared for.

From the grandest civilizations to the smallest organisms, from the most intricate relationships to the simplest of objects, the passage of time inevitably leaves its mark, eroding that which is left untended.

How many constructs of ancient human ingenuity have been lost in time? We can see today how some of the most robust historic monuments have succumbed to the wear induced by the march of time. From manmade artefacts to the natural world, decay is rife, whether brought about or accelerated by the hand of Homo Sapiens or simply by the natural ebbs and flows of the natural world over time.

On a smaller scale, the same principle applies to the objects and relationships that populate our everyday lives. A neglected garden becomes overrun with weeds, a neglected home falls into disrepair, a neglected friendship withers away, our very health suffers if not treated with consideration and care. It is a simple truth, yet one that is often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of modern life: nearly everything degenerates if not cared for.

And yet, amidst this inexorable tide of decay, how much time do we allocate to care and repair? How honest are we about how much effort is required to maintain what we have? The very things which were once our objects of lust are left languishing in disrepair as we wantonly work for our next reward.

A neglected garden, when tended with love and care, can bloom once more with vibrant colours and sweet fragrances. A neglected home, when given the attention it deserves, can be transformed into a sanctuary of warmth and comfort. A neglected friendship, when nurtured with kindness and understanding, can blossom into something even stronger and more beautiful than before. And through endeavour and consideration we can improve our fitness, our bodies function and our ability to fight and repel disease.

By spending our time, our effort and our love on maintaining what we have we can build a life of sustained and sustainable happiness. Even in the simple act of resetting our expectations, recognising that what is not maintained deteriorates, we can make better choices and deliver more personal satisfaction.

It has been said that happiness is reality minus expectation. If your expectations do not have a foundation in realism then happiness is forever going to be over the next hill.