September
1 Topic: Disappointment
It
happens to the best of us. We focus and visualize and stay positive and think
we're working on our life the best we can, and then something comes up to
disappoint us. Sometimes it rocks our world in a most negative or seemingly
unfair manner. It makes us question what we are doing and what we believe, and
leaves us wondering what to do next.
When we feel disappointment, it's
because there is some thing or experience we wish we had (or didn't have). We
think that the way we have visualized our life will bring us joy and when our
reality doesn't align with it, we feel sad and disappointed.
Most of us
focus a bit too long on the feelings of disappointment and let it fester into
some other emotion. Disappointment can quickly turn
to:
Blame
Shame
Doubt
Low
self-esteem
Envy
Anger
Even in the midst of many happy and
contented feelings, if one or two things go awry, we can quickly dip into any of
the feelings I've listed.
These emotions don't have to derail us,
however. They're valuable tools we can use to fine-tune our life experiences.
The trick is to not wallow in the feeling, but to face it and feel it fully,
with curiosity and openness. We then ask ourselves a few questions regarding it,
and let it guide us to a more enlightened self.
September
1 Exercise: Disappointment
EXERCISE
FOR THESE TWO WEEKS:
1. Without any negative judgement, think a while
about the areas of your life in which you feel disappointment. Write them down,
if you wish.
2. Forgive yourself for anything you have done or said (or
haven't done, and haven't said) which has kept you wallowing within low-energy
emotions.
3. Take a few deep breaths, and let go of any idea of who
you need to be or what you need to have. Just let it all go with some deep
breathing (and perhaps a meditation here and there within these two
weeks)
4. As each negative-feeling emotion arises, stop and acknowledge
it, and ask it some questions. See the self-discovery question section for
ideas.
5. Acknowledge the idea that life has feelings of success and
disappointment, and as a human, you are able to experience both. Stay curious
about life and do not close down from life's experiences just because a few
don't feel so good.
6. If a person is involved in your disappointment,
don't turn away from them. Instead, send them even more love and understanding
than before. If you feel they have hurt and disappointed you, you may be tempted
to send them angry or bitter thoughts. It won't feel good to anyone and
certainly won't help. Send forgiving, loving, abundant thoughts to your
perceived "enemies" or "competitors". Free yourself from the bondage of
negativity.
7. Allow yourself to fully feel each emotion. Don't be
afraid of them. You might try a Buddhist practice I enjoy, called Tonglen
Meditation. On the IN breath, FEEL the painful emotion. Breathe it IN to
yourself deeply. Feel it dissipate in the expansion of your highest self (some
people picture expansion as a sky or sea, or space). On the OUT breath, breathe
out love, contentment and joy. Repeat as necessary.
Self-discovery
Questions and Affirmations for: Disappointment
SELF-DISCOVERY
QUESTIONS FOR THESE TWO WEEKS:
How afraid of my feelings am I?
Do I
quickly try to change my emotions, or do I use them as valuable tools?
What
is this feeling I'm feeling right now?
What does it have to teach me and
where is it guiding me?
Do I feel other people have more stable feelings than
I?
Do I feel I'm the only one who feels this way?
Do I think I'm a
less-deserving person because I sometimes feel negative emotions?
Where is
this emotion taking me, and am I brave enough to go there?
Do I have what it
takes to work through this emotion?
Do I think others don't like me because
they don't give me what I want?
Do I think I must take from others exactly
what I desire?
Do I think others should work hard to make me happy?
Do I
think all of life's surprises are bad ones?
AFFIRMATIONS FOR THESE TWO
WEEKS:
I allow myself to FEEL
I am grateful for my internal guidance
system
I allow myself to work through my feelings today
I am grateful for
my life experiences
I am responsible for my own happiness and success
I am
responsible for my own feelings and emotions
I take deep breaths today to
re-center myself
I forgive myself and others today
I allow myself to
create a life of love, joy and prosperity
|
Quotes
"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
Kivosaki
"Disappointment, when it involves neither shame nor loss, is as
good as success; for it supplies as many images to the mind, and as many topics
to the tongue."
–– Samuel Johnson
"Rigid beliefs make
disappointments seem unbearable, whereas realistic beliefs help us to accept
disappointment and go on from there. "
– Eileen Kennedy-Moore
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't
try."
Beverly Sills
"Ones best success comes after their
greatest disappointments."
Henry Ward Beecher
"Disappointment is
often the salt of life."
Theodore Parker
"Disappointment to a
noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers,
intensifies, but never destroys it. "
Eliza Tabor
Special
for the month of September
Get
both of Sharon's books, ("The Book of Affirmations", and "Ready, Click,
Win") signed by the author, for only $25 plus $5 shipping.
Update: Sharon's free PDF book has been postponed for a short time due
to other commitments. We'll keep you posted! Details on www.unleashedminds.comUnleashed
Minds 1528 S. Koeller, #102 Oshkosh, WI
54902 Sharon@unleashedminds.com |
