Disappointment is something everybody knows and can understand at some level. I know for myself disappointment is often self-inflicted. I get in my head the idea of how I want things to be, tell no one, and then when they don’t happen I feel a deep hurt and sadness. Mind games set us up for failure, they create the illusion of what is to be without actually accepting what is.
A perfect example is the year I asked for the Ultimate Scrabble Game for Christmas. I love Scrabble and honestly it was the only thing I asked for. I didn’t see anything that looked like the size of the box, but I was already seeing myself playing the game, so it had to be there somewhere. My husband pointed out an envelope on the tree, I thought well it is a coupon for the game that was late to arrive.
Instead, it was a clue that made me think that I was getting an evergreen tree in the yard. I really was confused. The keyword of the clue was ‘forever’ and the gift was a pair of diamond earrings. The reaction…not at all what he expected. I was disappointed truthfully. I wanted that Scrabble game so badly because it was something we could do together, spend time, laugh, share stories as we made words and challenged each other to get more points. I felt like the earrings were the easy way out of spending time!
Looking back on this now, it seems a bit absurd. The disappointment was all created within my head because I had planned out everything the way I thought it should be, and then I missed the blessing of what was. To him, those diamond earrings meant that we will be together forever and that he loved me to forever. There was no reason for disappointment. There was reason for love and for a moment, I lost sight of that in my own selfishness.
I still love my earrings, I wear them when we play Scrabble! The lesson learned, or really that I am still learning is to look for the blessing and surrender my own selfish attempts to plan how life should be. Being open, accepting, and grateful for what is, leaves less room for disappointment and more room for blessings!
Blessed Beyond Measure!
-Jenny R.
When was a time that your expectations of a situation fueled the level of disappointment you felt?
This article is intended to convey general educational information and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.