The Deal With Disappointment

One of life’s greatest survival skills is the ability to survive disappointment.

We are often confronted with the situation where reality falls short of expectation. Things do not always turn out the way we had envisaged they would.

Our reaction can be an emotional one but, at times, it can also be physical. We can feel ill in head and in heart.

The point is that disappointment demands a reaction. The more we lean into the dark side, the more difficult it can be to cope. That can lead to defeat and despair. We can allow that negative emotion to dominate. What can follow is the great wallow…a period of time when the focus is on failure to the exclusion of positivity. Left unattended, that can be psychologically damaging.

Life is such that there is no way to avoid disappointment. The good news, however, is that it can be managed.

The first step is to understand that there are many things that happen around us over which we have no control. And no amount of complaint or anger will give us that control.

The second step is to come to terms with the fact that we have the ability to control and direct our emotions. Reaction is the action that is most important.

It is possible to work our way through the emotional turmoil that accompanies those things that hurt and confuse us the most.

It takes both time and effort. We must find the time and make the effort. No-one can do it for us.

Pain can be eased through positivity and disappointment can be defeated.

The choice is ours.