{"id":642,"date":"2017-02-13T01:14:57","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T01:14:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=642"},"modified":"2017-02-13T01:14:57","modified_gmt":"2017-02-13T01:14:57","slug":"appreciating-your-disappointments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/02\/appreciating-your-disappointments.html","title":{"rendered":"Appreciating Your Disappointments"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eggs<\/a><\/p>\n

No one goes through life without disappointment. We all have painful experiences.\u00a0 We all have situations which don\u2019t turn out the way that we would like them to.\u00a0 It is an unavoidable part of the human experience.<\/p>\n

Now lots of people will tell you to let go of disappointment. They will tell you to forgive the person who wronged you.\u00a0 They will tell you to forget about that time when your hopes were dashed.<\/p>\n

However, I\u2019d like you to take your reaction to disappointment one step further. I\u2019d like you to appreciate<\/em> your disappointments.<\/p>\n

That sounds crazy, doesn\u2019t it? Who in their right mind would appreciate disappointment?\u00a0 However, we are the sum of our successes and<\/em> our failures.\u00a0 In fact, we are more defined by our failures.\u00a0 Anyone can respond graciously to success.\u00a0 But it takes mental fortitude and courage to handle disappointment.\u00a0 We show what we are made of when life doesn\u2019t go our way.<\/p>\n

For instance, what if your marriage ended? Would you get depressed and decide that one person\u2019s opinion defined you?\u00a0 Or, would you shed some tears, forgive your spouse, and then dust yourself off and attack life as a single person head on?\u00a0 What would you do if you lost your job?\u00a0 Would you become bitter and hold a grudge against your employer?\u00a0 Or, would you tell yourself, \u201cThis is my opportunity to get the job of my dreams\u201d?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been through more disappointments than I can count. I\u2019ve had jobs that I applied for and didn\u2019t get.\u00a0 I’ve had a marriage that ended in divorce.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have the perfect, Norman Rockwell upbringing with birthday parties, beautiful Christmases and a lovely home.\u00a0 Instead, I grew up in a household that at times was fraught with dysfunction.<\/p>\n

But those circumstances haven\u2019t defined me, except in how I\u2019ve responded to them. My response hasn\u2019t been to get depressed and give up.\u00a0 Instead, I\u2019ve learned that the really good things in life don\u2019t just land in your lap.\u00a0 Instead, they are the product of tenacious drive and hard work.\u00a0 I\u2019ve learned that life is imperfect.\u00a0 So, there naturally are going to be disappointments.\u00a0 However, there is also a great deal of joy.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been blessed with a daughter, a wonderful second marriage, and a lifelong, continually growing relationship with God.\u00a0 My list of joys goes on and on.<\/p>\n

My disappointments, in fact, have been springboards to greater insight about life. Without them, I would have the emotional maturity of a 4-year-old, falling apart at the first sign of any obstacle or imperfection.\u00a0 Instead, because I’ve faced disappointment head on, I am resilient.\u00a0 I don\u2019t take my blessings for granted.\u00a0 And I certainly don\u2019t judge anyone whose life has been imperfect because mine sure has been.\u00a0 I now appreciate my disappointments because I know that they have matured me and have given me wisdom.<\/p>\n

If you are struggling with past or current disappointments, consider changing the way you view them. Think about how those experiences likely have changed you for the better.\u00a0 Even if those experiences were hard, you are probably a wiser and more compassionate person because of them.\u00a0 You probably cherish your blessings so much more because you know how hard life can be sometimes.\u00a0 So, appreciate your disappointments.\u00a0 They truly are blessings in disguise.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No one goes through life without disappointment. We all have painful experiences.\u00a0 We all have situations which don\u2019t turn out the way that we would like them to.\u00a0 It is an unavoidable part of the human experience. Now lots of people will tell you to let go of disappointment. They will tell you to forgive…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[37],"class_list":["post-642","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-handling-disappointment"],"yoast_head":"\nAppreciating Your Disappointments - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2017\/02\/appreciating-your-disappointments.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Appreciating Your Disappointments - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"No one goes through life without disappointment. 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