For almost everyone, the word cheating has a negative connotations, especially if you've ever been cheated. But allow me to use this unpleasant word in a broader sense. Try thinking of it as simply choosing to give up one thing in hope of gaining someone else of greater value.
Daily we all decide to shortchange one thing in order to more fully experience another. It's especially true with out schedules. We face a variety of responsibilities and opportunities- work, family, hobbies, clubs, sports. The list is endless. Each competes for our attention. Each competes for our most valuable resource: our time. But to give each the time it demands or deserves would require more time than any of us have. 
So we "cheat". We give up certain opportunities for the sake of others. We invest in some relationships while neglecting others. We allocate our time the best we can, knowing all the while that somebody's going to feel cheated. Unfortunately, that "somebody" is usually someone we care e ...