Many people tell me that they wish they could change certain aspects of their lives. To be sure, some of them are fully in their control, like finding a better job or losing weight. It takes hard work and persistence to achieve these goals, but they're certainly not impossible. What is outside their grasp, however, is the behavior of other people. It's this that seems to make them more despondent than anything else.  You may have tried your hardest to change your partner for the better -- say, to be more helpful around the house -- to no avail. You might be pushing your friend to hang out with you more often, but she seems to have time for everything and everyone except you.  We've all been there. As long as you've done your part and expressed how you feel, there's no reason to feel dispirited over that which you cannot change. We can't will others' behavior to be how we like. People will always do things that will upset us. Unfortunately...