I was a child who didn't meet with success, so didn’t have the chance to experience disappointment in the way other children did.

About success

Success teaches us we can achieve greatly, but it doesn't teach us how to deal with disappointment. The other side of success is disappointment and it is important to be able to experience both.

Disappointment

As much as we try to show that we’re not affected by disappointment I think it's hard not to feel disappointment from time to time. Being disappointed can leave us numb, as we try to come to terms with that loss.

Disappointment doesn’t mean we’ve failed. It may sometimes mean what we were trying to achieve isn't right for us. As individuals we tend to walk away with a less than satisfied outcome and a feeling that leaves us with a sense of dejection, as though what we’ve tried to achieve is not good enough.

We don't fail

We don't fail as the individual, because as the individual we may have achieved greatly. We can still have the wisdom, even without the success. Disappointment is an opportunity to start again.

Disappointment is also an opportunity to redress what went wrong. Disappointment is an opportunity to have another go, whilst we work on bringing about a better outcome. It also gives us an opportunity to grow emotionally, mentally and spiritually and allows us to add to our already unique experiences.

Disappointment can lead to encouragement

Being disappointed and pulling through disappointment encourages other people to show the same fighting spirit.

Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges. In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines. Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.

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4 comments on “Disappointment”

  1. I see disappointment as a let down, but I get over it. I don't see it as a failure on anyone.

    It can make you feel bad for a while but we should just get over it and start over. It's not the end of the world.

  2. Sometimes it's hard to be positive following disappointment, but it's certainly a good idea to look for the lesson in it.

    1. I totally agree.

      If I meet with disappointment I always look for a lesson. It helps me focus on change so that I can bring about a better outcome next time.

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