We are living in a world where every day we have to deal with disappointments. Some of them are small, and we forget about them right after the moment happens, while others genuinely have the power to alter our lives.
“The size of success is measured by the strength of desire and the way of handling disappointment along the way.”
Although dealing with adversity and being disappointed might not seem like a favorable situation, it can sometimes work to our advantage with a few tricks and tips. Placing aside the negative part of disappointment, this pretty powerful emotion can help you map your course to goal achievement. So grab your journal and lets begin turning the disappointments we face into powerful tools for success.
1. Clear Your Mind
Disappointment affects our brain and can directly impact our thinking pattern. The feeling is so powerful and overwhelming that it feels like the end of the world. So, the first and foremost thing that you have to do is to bring your calm back. You can never fight disappointment until your mind is in a neutral or positive state.
When there is no positivity inside, look for positivity outside. Search for activities that recharge you and refresh your mind. Turn your attention toward things that bring you joy. It could be anything from listening to music to going on vacation, spending time with friends, watching movies, taking a stroll on a beach. Take some time, do your favorite activity, and clear the mental clutter.
2. Be Flexible
We feel disappointed because we were expecting a different outcome from a situation. However, we did not understand that the goals we have set in our life are the mere projections of our desires. We set goals to fulfill our passions, and when the outcome does not come as anticipated, we get the bitter taste of disappointment. We thought about a particular outcome and envisioned how it should be. When the reality doesn’t turn out accordingly, we fall into doubt and despair. Many of us remain disappointed regarding a particular situation in life for way too long. If you are unhappy over something, this means you have harbored some scenario in your mind, and things did not turn out accordingly. Perception can never be your truth; instead, it is just a mere lens through which you see the world. While you choose to hang on to a certain outcome, your mind does not allow you to move forward in life and you are stuck in the past. You can be missing out on something so much better than you could have ever imagined. If you are looking for ways to deal with disappointment, you have to let go of your expectations and be flexible about specific outcomes. If you feel extreme disappointment, ask yourself, what particular outcome was I expecting? The key is to be flexible and take what we have learned from the situation and use it to strategize and regroup. Take a look at the goal from a different perspective. Sometime all it really takes is adjustments not abandonment. Sometimes we quit too soon. Maybe what we have to do is learn the lesson and move forward. Just because something is delayed, does not mean it is denied. This is especially true in relationships. We get hung up on the who instead of the what. Most times if we just let go of who we think is the one and hold on to what we want, it will allow the person to show up.
3. See Setbacks as Opportunities
Disappointment, as we have mentioned before, is an opportunity to reflect and grow. If some situation did not turn out as you anticipated, it is not a setback. Instead, it is an opportunity to review your strategy and figure out the flaws. Every experience comes with a life lesson. The same is true for disappointment and failures, as they allow us to look back and review what went wrong. With every failure, you attain a new state of consciousness, awareness, and growth, which will help you excel in life. One of the most probable and predictable reactions we have when things do not go as planned is blame. We tend to justify the outcomes and blame ourselves. This is a coping mechanism that we sometimes use to soothe our disappointment but it is an entirely wrong approach. Trust me, blaming yourself will not solve any problem. Simply pick up the broken pieces and restart. If you are looking for a patent key for success, there is only one; “Keep it moving”.
Ink Your Journey
If you follow the techniques mentioned above and apply them in your life, we are optimistic that you will be able to manage your disappointment, regroup and move forward. Also, we believe that words have power. Use your words to create the life you want. It doesn’t matter where you are right now. Just pick up your journal and create something great one word at a time.