It was a disappointment, they are a disappointment, I’m disappointed, I am a disappointment.
Probably after the word ‘Ok’ the most used word in the World? (I don’t have any data to back this up, it’s just a hunch).
In the media We are very disappointed with most things. In our social lives people talk of much disappointment, with the council, with the neighbours, with the weather, with the new plans for road improvements, it’s all just very disappointing. Almost a Sport. Perhaps a new Olympic game?
It’s easy to start believing that life is just one big disappointment, with the biggest disappointment being ourselves. The pressure to be something more, the constant weight of expectation hanging above our heads, the pursuit of striving, driving, thriving.
It’s disappointing when it all comes to nothing (whatever nothing maybe).
But wait up. I think it’s not all bad news.
Things are only a disappointment if you’ve attached some worth to the outcome.
Are things really that bad that you are willing to spend your valuable energy on disappointment?
Yes, it’s not great that your holiday was cancelled - but really, is that bad you now feel so miserable you are now below the Ok line? Was the holiday the thing that was going to solve it all for you, was it really your one chance of happiness. Or maybe it’s just a little bit inconvenient, and you’ll probably be Ok.
Yes, it wasn’t the best news to not get the job, to not win the pitch, to miss out on being published, to have the Tedx talk cancelled, to not be picked for the TV ad, to not win the award… but really? What are they all really worth?
I labelled 2021 a Disappointment. I thought it was the word of the year. And it is true that many many things just didn’t work out, it was so close and yet so far.
But how would labelling a year Disappointing going to help me move forwards. Well it wouldn’t. At all. This label would serves no purpose. So instead, 2021 was a year, a year that we laughed, cried, breathed and lived - and that yes it was a bit of a scramble, but everything was ok. It laid down foundations and redirections for 2022. It showed me what was important and what wasn’t. It told me where to put my energy, and where not to.
And it reenergised me.
And here we are scrubbing out disappointment, taking it off the list of things to do, deciding that disappointment will not show up in any form this year.
Disappointment is just too disappointing to entertain!
eleanor
What does Disappointment do for you?
On a simple level I find chocolate cake disappointing. The anticipation is usually far more exciting than the reality. I think I'm numb to disappointment in business settings
Disappointment is a negative feeling so I prefer not to feel disappointed - I just grab the option to reorganise or reestablish what’s gone wrong! 😀