Grateful for my disappointments
The power of perspective.
Hi, I’m Reid! I write about my life experiences and how we can all live in brave new ways. Dare You is a reader-supported publication. To receive weekly posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 💗
We have all experienced moments in life when something that we really wanted to work out… doesn’t work out. Whether it be a job you interviewed three times for that in the end “went in another direction,” or the lover you were so utterly obsessed with only to find out they thought you were average, or the offer you made on the house you thought was your dream home which ended up going to another buyer who offered cash…. You have found yourself in moments of disappointment before, and you will again.
You have also found yourself in moments where you landed an even better job than the job you had originally wanted, you have cringed at the thought of that past lover you were crazy about who was definitely not right for you, and sat in your amazing new home and thanked the heavens that the last one didn’t work out.
It’s a fact of life that we all experience disappointment. There is no escaping it. But what if our disappointments were all just big blessings in disguise? I’ve lived enough life by now to look back on my past disappointments and see how each and every one of them were keeping me safe from something that was never meant to be mine. I am grateful for them. And having the ability to express gratitude for my past disappointments makes it way easier to deal with new disappointments as they come.
There is always a silver lining and a lesson in every bad moment.
Whenever we experience a new disappointment, it’s tempting to let the negative feeling overcome us. But if we can pause long enough to remember how our past disappointments have served us, we are able to navigate through the tough feelings and come out the other side feeling optimistic and ready for what’s next. Disappointments build character and resilience. They can shape who we are as people and change the direction of our lives, and it is up to YOU to decide whether your disappointments will shape you in positive or negative ways.
The author of the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” Robert Kiyosaki, once said, “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” The way you handle disappointment can truly be the final factor that decides if you become successful or not. If you choose to wallow in your disappointments and let them consume you… then have fun feeling sorry for yourself. But if you choose to learn from your disappointments and let them provide insight on how to best move forward, the odds of you coming out as a winner in life are way more likely than the latter.
Next time you are feeling disappointed in yourself or in life in general, make a list of all your past disappointments and how they might have been blessings in disguise. Then, right down all the ways your current disappointment may be here to help you and teach you valuable lessons. Remember, there is always a silver lining and a lesson in every bad moment.
-Reid
📹 Meanwhile on Youtube: 📹
How to deal with REJECTION // 6 Tips for how to reframe your setbacks