Disappointment

Have you ever been a disappointment? An encounter today has me thinking about the times in my life when I have been a disappointment.

Today, I stopped to assist a woman who had totalled her car. I stopped to ensure she was not injured and learned a bit about her life. In our thirty minute conversation, her statement, "I am such a disappointment to everyone" had me thinking...how does one become a disappointment?

For her, I am sure that alcohol addiction played a large part in her feelings of being a disappointment. Yes, she was intoxicated at noon; she had admitted her addiction. I learned that she was married and had three children; the oldest 12. Did she see herself as a disappointment to her children?

She needed to call her mother to come and pick her up. Her mother arrived and asked if she was injured. I assured her that she was not physically injured and that she would be better with some sleep. Did she see herself as a disappointment to her mother?

It was odd for me that she did not call her husband to pick her up. She did say that he was. "Going to kill her." My sense of humor kicked in and I said, "I hope not after surviving this accident." Did she see herself as a disappointment to her husband?

Where does disappointment come from?

Disappointment comes from an internal feeling we impose upon ourselves. It is based on an emotional response that we create based on our EXPECTATION of ourselves.

So how do we help to avoid feeling like a disappointment?

If disappointment comes from our self imposed expectation than perhaps we need to be easier on ourselves. Perhaps we need to continually alter our expectation for ourselves. If we continually fail in our expectations than perhaps we have unrealistic expectations.

 Life is a journey in learning. Each day we should learn about our world and about ourselves. We should learn from our mistakes and take them as a opportunity to learn. Little life lessons-- how do you think we get them?

Live in the moment. The world is constantly changing. Our options and responses to the environment need to be constantly changing. If we learn to accept and live life in the moment; each day will be cherished.

Attitude. We have the ability to choose it. Don't believe me; try it. Select the attitude that you want when you wake up. A positive attitude will allow you to work through life's challenges with an open mind and a sense of learning through the struggle.

Life Lesson: Disappointment is self imposed; take it easy on yourself.