free willy wrote:
Admiration from others is not something that you "want". You do your thing (run, cook, raise the kid, whatever), and just focus on the most direct thing on the table. Admiration, impression, love, respect, passion, and whatever else that other person feels are something that will happen (or not) on its own. You don't care if they are not impressed. It's their problem.
If you haven't, read the book called "Mating in Captivity" by Esther Perel. Basically, you have to maintain autonomy and independence if you want your relationship interesting. Trying to hard to serve, to be intimate, to disclose everything, to be nice, etc. are actually going to kill your relationship. You need distance as much as closeness.
I concur