Monday, September 5, 2011

Disappointment Does not Discriminate

Have you ever felt that everyone's life is rosy but yours? Does it feel like you have a large cross to bear while others seem to be skating through scot free?

There are two things I've learned about disappointment:

1. It is an absolute waste of time to compare your life to others - you will either come way inflated or deflated but both are a false sense of self. In this life, we will have tribulations, but there's a promise at the end of this verse - "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

2. Have you heard of Usain Bolt? He is the world's fastest man and hails from the country of Jamaica. Last week at the World Championships in Korea, the 100m was the hottest ticket. All the athletes were in the blocks and the stands were silent. Then in a split second, Usain Bolt false started and was disqualified...for the entire world to see! Think about it - this is a world class athlete, who has trained for this moment, on one of the biggest stages and he makes a colossal error - he jumped the gun. He is quite familiar with the rules of his sport - one false start and you're out; so he could not defend his crown. What a blow!


What do you do when you are disappointed? Usain Bolt came back and won the 200m in one of the four fastest times in history and then anchored the 4X100 relay for Jamaica, while setting a new world record.

We're not all Usain Bolt, but we all go through disappointing times - we make a mistake, we say something in error, or we go through a tragedy or loss. The key is to recognize that we are disappointed, and then move on. If your disappointment grows it may lead to discouragement, creating a downward spiral that becomes harder to conquer over time.

The next time you are disappointed, think about the world's fastest man and how he came back from his disappointment. Disappointment may be a blessing in disguise, as it allows us to regroup and focus on the task(s) ahead.

Our best successes (can) often come after our greatest disappointments.~ Henry Ward Beecher

How do you handle disappointments and how do you eventually move on?

2 comments:

  1. Disappointment is tough to handle. I think you ask some great questions, definitely ones to ponder. I handle disappointments in different ways, but I do try to remain hopeful that I will bounce back better than ever. I tell myself God didn't bring my this far to leave me, so I know I gotta get back up and try again.

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  2. It is so hard to handle disappointment. I know God is allowing me the lesson for some reason and that He will walk through it with me...but, it can still be hard.

    BTW-I lost a brother too. It changed my life.

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