Disappointments

Sometimes life gets you down. We talk about disappointments, and it is oft said that a mark of maturity is in your ability to handle disappointments.

Certainly, if you google for quotes on disappointments, it does say so…

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” (Robert Kiyosaki – motivational speaker & author of Rich Dad Poor Dad)

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” (Martin Luther King Jr)

“Man must be disappointed with the lesser things of life before he can comprehend the full value of the greater.” (Edward G Bulwer-Lytton)

Of late, I was thinking on this subject, and I think there are two sides to this coin.

Most speak of when people, things or situations disappoint us, and certainly, our reactions to these disappointments and our ability to rise above difficult situations, and to forget and forgive, do show our maturity as a person.

 
(Photo credit: Flickr)

But when we ourselves are the ones to disappoint? When our actions or lack thereof cause our friends, family or colleagues to be let down?

A mark of maturity is also in how we handle being disappointing.

As a cell group leader for so many years, I’ve seen how my members handle being a disappointment. Some run away, and choose to avoid the person they have disappointed, be it man or God Himself. They choose to forget the problem and issue by running away from situations that remind them of it. I’ve seen others who may not physically absent themselves, but yet they choose to absolve themselves of blame by pointing the finger at another person. Yet others choose the “high road”. They suck it up. Accepting blame, accepting responsibility, and facing the ones they have disappointed with great humility and contrition.

It’s easy to imagine how you might react when you are faced with a situation where you have disappointed. Not so easy when you’re going through it. To any of my dear readers who might be going through the “fire”, I pray you will quickly find resolution from within, and from  without.

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