Day 17: Facing Disappointment
There are times in our life when things do not go our way and we get disappointed. It can happen quite often, whether it be through an event getting canceled, friends backing out of plans, or circumstances changing. There will always be disappointments, unfortunately it is just part of being alive.
As we go about our day to day tasks, we face small disappointments along the way. Food not tasting great, being late to work because of traffic, etc. They are everywhere and usually they are pretty easy to overcome. However, there are other instances where the disappointment is much, much larger.
These instances throw off entire days, weeks, months maybe. You were building up to something for such a long time and then it fizzles out. You come crashing out of the realization that it just won't be happening and you are left feeling letdown. These are the kind of disappointments that can be much harder to get over.
Recently, I had the opportunity to face a disappointment of this magnitude. There was a possibility of being able to be part of a production and I had spent the time and money on auditioning. Everything was going great and I had decided for sure I would be doing it. But days later I found out that I would not longer be part of the production. It was quite a shock and in such circumstances it can lead to feelings of anger.
We are not strangers to people walking out and events being canceled. It happens all the time and it can be really hard to get over. Yet in these cases, I want to remind you of something I was reminded of after I experienced the above letdown.
Life is constantly changing and things happen. Because of that we have to allow ourselves the flexibility to move around those circumstances. Yes, it will be hard when something we are looking forward to does not come around, but it is not the end of the world. There are other things to look forward to and if there isn't something coming up, make one.
Try not to allow the disappointment to alter your views about life or people. Things happen, give everyone a bit of grace and look to the next thing. And if you cannot seem to find anything to look forward to in the future look around you. There are so many things to appreciate right now in this moment, you do not have to always look to the future. What happened today that was exciting or filled you with joy?
Disappointments happen, that is simply life. How we recover from those circumstances means everything. I encourage you, as well as myself, to find something to look forward to in the future while focusing on the little joys all around.
Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt
