(For quotes on disappointments please check my inspirational quotes for today-disappointments)
Here are 4 steps I’ve recently identified for genuinely getting past disappointment:
1. Let it all out.
One of the hardest things to do in a world where everything/everyone is under pressure is to just let yourself experience a feeling. Even at the most difficulties times, such as grieving. Human beings are not very good at allowing the experiencing of emotions in full without trying to speed up the process. Whatever you are feeling is OK. Take some time to just sit with your emotion and experience it without moving to fix or change it. Genuinely experiencing emotions, no matter how painful, is one of the beauties of life. Don’t shy away from these moments. Be present in them.
2. Try to get some understanding.
The wonderful thing about letting it out is that you have given yourself that time. You have said to yourself, “I care about you. I want to allow you to feel what you need to feel and I do not wish to push you .” You have treated yourself like a friend and allowed yourself the space you needed to experience your feelings of disappointment. Once you’ve done that, it becomes much easier to get some perspective. After you give yourself space to feel, you’re able to give the situation or individuals involved more room to breathe. Perhaps the person who you feel disappointed by doesn’t even realize they’ve done something to upset you. Maybe they’re stressed out and don’t have the emotional bandwidth to think about it because they aren’t allowing themselves time to experience their emotions. Giving yourself space to be as you are prepares you to allow the same to other people.
Having a broader perspective than your own view on a particular situation is always helpful.
3. Make sure you know your values and what you can take.
Disappointment can ripple through to the core of who you are. If you don’t know what your core values are, you may not have a framework to support you when you experience negative emotions. Knowing your own heart and your values gives you the freedom of choice. You can choose to be driven by what happens to you, or you can choose to live in line with your principles. Do you know that the challenge of disappointment allows you to practice living closer to your values, and stops you from being swallowed up by it.
4. Practice acceptance.
As human beings, even though we know that some things are bound to happen, we’re not always willing to accept them. You have to accept that you will continue to be disappointed—that it is a part of life, part of being human. also have to accept that you will probably continue to struggle to accept this fact, at various points throughout the rest of your life! I will be disappointed, I will disappoint, you will be disappointed, and you will disappoint. Life will be disappointing—but it will pass. Practice acceptance and we may suffer less as it is happening and notice the good things in life more.
Love Always
Sue
No comments:
Post a Comment