Three tips to handle disappointment
#2020 has been a year of #disappointment for all of us in big ways and in everyday ways. How do you handle that disappointment? Here are three #PointsToPonder as you move deeper into this final quarter of a year like no other …
It’s your turn
Last week, I issued a call for your topics, and Tammy wrote in with the suggestion about how to deal with disappointment. I know what it’s like to feel disappointed. I’ve felt the pain of not getting the job I had my heart set on. I also know how it feels when an important person in your life lets you down. Sometimes for me the worst is when I disappoint myself, when I don’t follow through on what I committed to do.
What can you do?
Here are three ideas about how to handle disappointment:
- No. 1: Give yourself permission to feel your feelings … Disappointment can pop into your heart and mind in split second. Maybe it’s when your colleague got an advancement and you didn’t. Or maybe it’s when your outing with your friend fell through. It’s ok to give yourself a moment to feel the feeling. Don’t berate yourself for having the emotion. How would it be to give yourself permission to acknowledge your feelings and what brought them about?
- No. 2: Make a choice … dive deeper or release … Once you’ve paused in the emotion, it’s choice time: do you dive deeper into your feelings of disappointment? What might happen if you do that? Or do you choose to release those feelings? What might it feel like to let the disappointment dissipate?
- No. 3: Cast your cares … Maybe you are having a hard time letting your disappointment go. It can be difficult. Consider 1 Peter 5:7, which says: “ … cast all your cares on God, for He cares for you.” Take a few minutes to write down what you’re disappointed about, what’s weighing on your mind. Then, when you are ready, literally cast it away from you … whether that’s in a waste basket or into a camp fire you build with your kids this weekend! As you toss the paper away, imagine that you are casting this disappointment at the feet of your Lord and Savior. He can take it!
Desires of your heart
Psalm 37:4 says: “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” You can trust this: God knows the desires of your heart. And so if you are feeling disappointed about something that didn’t go your way, don’t let it distract you from this promise. God will give you the desires of your heart. They just may come in a way you never expected …
Thanks again to Tammy for writing in with her suggestion as a part of my “viewer’s choice challenge.” I can’t wait to hear from you too! Contact me here or message me via Facebook @YourChristianCoach.
Thanks for joining me. I’ll see you next Tuesday, as we chat more about Points to Ponder.