Dealing with and Defeating the Emotions caused by Disappointment.
The pain of disappointment is real. It often turns into lingering sorrow particularly when inflicted by people whom you trust deeply, or when our expectations are not met due to circumstances beyond our control. As a result we are left with feelings of sadness, loss, grief, even betrayal.
While disappointment helps you understand and appreciate the things and people you have in life, the fact that you are an overcomer, and that resilience is built into your DNA and you have the ability to bounce back even amidst the most outrageous of circumstances - going through the stages of disappointment is painful to say the least especially because it involves loss of some kind and rewiring yourself to survive through that loss takes tremendous strength.
Unwillingness to accept the reality that your expectation hasn't been met often triggers an angry response making the situation harder to deal with and puts your loved ones in a more precarious position to help you.
As difficult as it seems to reach out, because by now your feelings of isolation are dominant, find your support system among people you know are there to help you through tough times. Everyone has a story - of disappointment and letdown- and getting up and overcoming! Tap into your encouragement network.
Let your optimism stack up against reality. The Stockdale paradox in a nutshell : Retain faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties and at the same time confront the most brutal facts of your reality. The circumstances are your facts. That you can and will overcome it is the truth. This will help against setting yourself up for heartbreak.
It's useful to remember you are built with resilience - The ability to bounce back! All you need to do is make a choice to use it. Remember that anyone can grow weary and stumble but in returning and rest, quietness and confidence shall be your strength! Don't let disappointment linger but face it and adjust your expectations.
Resilience isn't about blaming others. Its about understanding how circumstances and other people don't necessarily cooperate with your expectations.
Remember the battlefield is your mind! You are defeated or victorious in your mind first. This is the difference between people who are depressed because of disappointment and commit suicide and those that don't. See your thinking for what it is. (Or isn't) Determine that you can get past it and that it always looks worse than it really is. Know that this too shall pass and do not have to go through it alone.
