Disappointment

We all experience disappointment when our expectations are divided by reality.  For example, just recently I created something for my job that I thought would be perfect.  In my view, it seemed to fit all the criteria.  And it made it through the first few reviewers with minor alterations.  But when it got down to the last step in the process, it was ultimately rejected, and I had to start over.  Needless to say, I was disappointed.  But why?  What was my expectation?  Did I believe everyone would see it my way and everything would go smoothly in the process?

Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way most of the time.  I think there’s a saying about when humans make plans, God laughs.  And I’m a planner, so I think I get laughed at a lot.  Many times I plan for things to go a certain way, and that’s not what happens.  As I have gotten older, I have gotten somewhat better with rolling with the punches.  But it still takes me some time to shift gears from what I thought was going to happen to what actually did happen.

Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes unexpected events work out for the best; it’s just hard to see that in the moment.  In fact I can look back now with some perspective on an event like getting fired from a job.  At the time that happened, I was very upset and worried about how I would make ends meet and what I would do.  But, you know what?  It always worked out.  My path may have turned in a different direction from the one I expected, but I can see now that the turn was necessary so that I could grow and become a better person.  If I had just stayed put, I would not have had the opportunities to learn and develop.  I would have been stuck in a job I didn’t like instead of having the chance to do something I would enjoy.

So the next time you are disappointed, think about your expectations and whether or not they were realistic.  Accept what is and move on without spending a lot of time wallowing in regret.  Consider what you can learn from the experience and what you might do next time if faced with a similar circumstance.  Then your disappointment can become an opportunity to grow and become a better person.

Joke:  Have you ever noticed that it doesn’t take much to please kids but it’s almost impossible to give them enough stuff to make them happy?

Quote:  “Sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectations.” – Unknown

Advice:  Be willing to change your plans if a better opportunity presents itself!