Carve a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Disappointment often lowers our unseen posture. We feel heavier and a sense of sadness that something we had relied upon, something we had trusted in, or someone we needed, did not come through for us. Perhaps we even feel embarrassed that we were so foolishly relying on something or someone that simply was not what we had expected.
I find that even looking at this word “disappointment” is interesting. I get the sense of having had an appointment with ourself and the “dis” reveals that we relied upon an outside source which moved us away from relying more fully on our own intuitions and sense of discernment. Sure, we must rely on the outside world for many things, but my musing takes me to a few questions that perhaps we should answer for ourselves: “Where do our expectations lie? Are they from within or from without? And, why are those expectations there to begin with?
Elliott Larson said, “Anger always comes from frustrated expectations.” When I am really honest with myself and take the time to look a little deeper into my own heart, I generally find that when I am short tempered or feeling particularly angry, the root of that so often seems to be that I am carrying a feeling of disappointment with me which has somehow injured me.
Our expectations of others are often so colored by our own unmet needs. Yes, perhaps that certain someone could have been a little kinder and more gracious, a little more giving of themselves, a little wiser in their dealings, or a little more mature in the way they chose to handle a situation. However, it would be a good lesson learned to understand that each person struggles with their own insecurities and with their own fears. Even the strongest among us, the brightest and the most talented, tend to struggle immensely with things which we cannot see. It is a commonality of us all.
Disappointment tends to diminish greatly when we live in the present moment and we rely on the eternal world within us. I love what Kalidasa said:
Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty,
For Yesterday is but a Dream.
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!
~Kalidasa
May we carve a tunnel of hope through our dark disappointments. May we find healing in the wisdom that lies within each of us. May we be gentle with ourselves as we learn life’s lessons and then use them for our own growth. And, may we give that which came to us as a lesson, to another, as a gift.
