We all face many disappointments throughout our lives. Perhaps you’re dealing with a disappointment right now. Whether someone you trusted and loved let you down, whether something in your college or office didn’t go right or whether your life isn’t where you want it to be – life just seems to have a way of making things worse when we’re already damned.
So, let’s just face it. Disappointment is fact of life that has to be dealt with. We can never expect to reach a phase where we won’t encounter disappointments and we’ll be sheltered from every little thing that may have the potential to disappoint us, but standing strong in the face of it and picking yourself up afterwards is crucial to living a good life.
When I was in school, my English teacher used to emphasize and reemphasize on a saying. “When man makes plans, God laughs.” We often try so hard to control our lives, that in the process we forget this saying. We place far too much emphasis on the outcome of our actions, as opposed to enjoying the journey. As a result, when the outcome is a mismatch to our expectations, we end up being disappointed.
Like the enlightened tortoise from Kung Fu Panda – Master Oogway says, “You must let go of the illusion of control.” So let go of your attachment to the outcome. All you have is this moment. This is it! Enjoy it as best as you can.
Always try to find value in failure and know that everything in life is a learning experience and somewhere or the other it adds to our knowledge. Suppose you’re sitting for a job interview, and you don’t ace that interview, you could either decide you failed, or you succeeded in learning something to help you in the next—which might be an even better opportunity than the one that just passed. As the Dalai Lama said, “Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”
I believe the greatest achievement in life is the choice to be empowered, not paralyzed when things don’t go your way.
A book I once read as a teenager read, “The important thing is not to be bitter over life’s disappointments. Learn to let go of the past and recognize that everyday won’t be sunny. And when you find yourself lost in the darkness of despair, remember – it’s only in the black of night that you see the stars and those stars lead you back home. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing things that scare you the most. Maybe you’ll get everything you wished for, maybe you’ll get more than you could ever have imagined. Who knows where life will take you!” Since that day, this quote has resonated with me and comes to my mind every time I think something is not working out.
When facing disappointments, it's very easy to be beaten down, to believe that situations are hopeless, and to give up the belief that things will eventually work out.
Keep reminding yourself to have hope and know that, you always have the ability to hope for good things coming your way in the future. No matter what you're facing, no matter how hard it is, don't forget that you are not alone.
So is it Easy? Not always. Is it Essential? Absolutely.
Everything in this world can be seen as you wish to. It’s not about how things are; it’s about how you look up to them. And how you look up to them is all up to you.
Promita Banerjee