Disappointment is inevitable but it need not be debilitating.
How you manage it, however, is a choice with profound implications to your well-being, relationships, and opportunities. The easy route is to react negatively and stay there, but what good is that? You have a better choice.
I got to thinking about the word: disappointment.
It led me to this chain of words: disappointment > disappoint > point > appoint > appointment. The common word is “point” as in a mark or dot or direction. When we’re disappointed, the mark has been missed. It does, however, provide an opportunity for redirection.
What if disappointment is really intended to direct us to a greater appointment?
So when we stay in a negative place, aren’t we the ones who increase the price of the initial disappointment and risk missing where we’ve been appointed to shine?
(To see another use of “the point” you can watch this 9-minute video about the punctuation of your life. Is your life a question mark, period, or exclamation point? It is an excerpt from a keynote speaking engagement I did a few years ago.)
The holiday season sets high expectations, which can lead to great disappointment.
How do you turn that around?
As one year rolls into the next, take some time to refocus on-purpose.
- Use the Discovery Guide Free Preview or Workbook
- Invest time with On-Purpose Peace
- Read Mel Kaufmann’s Christmas Collection (a free collection of inspiring thoughts)
I would love to hear your words of advice for getting unstuck when you find yourself disappointed with something important.
What works for you in managing disappointment? Share your thoughts in the comment box below. What you have to say may be the very words that help transform another person’s perspective. Now don’t disappoint me! : )