Is Disappointment Inevitable?

When you're stressed out, life can seem like one disappointment after another. It's like our brain automatically notices when people let us down. We feel the emotion of hurt or sadness, possibly anger or frustration. At some point, we might wonder if disappointment is inevitable no matter what we do.Unfortunately, disappointment is unavoidable in life. That's because we humans aren't very good at doing things perfectly. In fact, much of human learning is linked to adjusting for failures. In essence, we can't learn without failing, so why are we so critical of ourselves and others when it comes to feeling disappointed? Think about how babies learn to speak by mimicking adults talking to them. The baby "fails" to immediately speak but it learns how different sounds are made in the process. We aren't perfect humans. When you throw in the stress of life and the insecurities of having lived a life with other disappointments, then it's actually pretty easy to see why we live with a lot of disappointment.  So, how can you handle disappointment in a less painful way? Here are some tips:1) When we accept that people are going to let us down, then we can adjust our expectations accordingly. Remind yourself that your loved one may or may not be able to meet your expectation - not because they don't love you but because they're also managing their own challenges.2) Realize that we let people down as well. It is universal that all humans are not perfect. Even when we try our best, we may struggle with meeting other people's expectations of us. Having grace for others, as well as ourselves, allows us to deal with disappointment more easily.3) It is actually healthier to let others down if it means we are owning our own truth. If you are meeting an expectation that doesn't align with your purpose or passion then it is likely you are doing it out of obligation or avoidance of feeling bad. This can lead to "people pleasing" which is disrespectful to yourself and the person that you are trying to please. It is better to be honest and say "no" to those requests.If you struggle with the constant let down from a friend or family member or perhaps you feel guilt and judgement because you are the one letting people down, reach out and set up a session. We can help change your perspective so that you can find a bit more peace with others and yourself.

Disappointment can be difficult to navigate