So many of us expect life to applaud us, and we expect the people around us to always cheer on us for what we are doing. It is important to be surrounded by people supporting us and cheering for us, but it is also important not to expect people always to be like that. If we do, then we will walk around disappointed because we do not get what we feel we deserve. It is easy to be sad and bitter because the people around us do not behave the way we want them to.
Dale Carnegie was a man with great wisdom when it comes to how to treat and how to behave with people. That is why I believe this is a word of wisdom as well.
Applause is a receipt, not a bill.
What does it mean? You cannot bill people, that is, you cannot expect people to cheer for you and applaud you. If you do, you will end up sad and feeling bad. However, if you just do what you want to do and expect nothing, then you will often experience the fact that people around you will applaud you, but not because you billed them, expected them to do so, but because you have laid down a hard piece of work, and now the applause comes as a receipt!