Disappointment is democratic. It doesn’t discriminate. It visits everyone equally. The CEO who loses the big merger feels the same gut punch as the student who didn’t make the team. Same sting.

The pain of disappointment is not easy to live with. You have a choice.

Will you decide to despair or get inspired?

You can regroup and reset your disappointment to focus on improvement and success, or you can let it wash you down the drain, become angry and hopeless, and choose to be stuck, perhaps even seeking revenge.

One choice is to sit with disappointment. To feel it fully and see what you want to do with the results that have created disappointment and discouragement.
Maybe it’s time to try something completely new or to refine what didn’t work.

The critical question isn’t what you can learn from disappointment; it’s what you choose to do with that learning. Can you shift those feelings of despair and discouragement into fuel for something better?

Maybe you didn’t get the raise, didn’t make the course, weren’t invited to that podcast, or the date was a disaster. These disappointments hurt, but they don’t define you.

Disappointment doesn’t mean you failed. You can still have expectations and be encouraged. Use it to grow and change.

The attempt itself matters. Be proud that you tried.

Start by examining what actually happened. Where did you excel? Where could you improve? Sometimes the goal itself wasn’t realistic—a harsh truth, but recognizing it opens doors to better-fitting alternatives.

Once I lost a client I longed to work with. They chose someone else. I didn’t quit. I created a plan of action to win their business. I wrote a sincere thank-you letter, expressing my disappointment at missing out, and I hoped that if another opening arose, I would be considered. I kept in touch. Every week or two, I’d send a note or email with articles that I believed they would be interested in for their business, as well as some testimonials about my work. Months later, I was given a chance to work with them. They told me they liked my work ethic, persistence, and ability to be present and memorable in creative ways. Disappointment became my competitive advantage. My choice to alter disappointment into ispiration.

Thanks – Michael (he, him)

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This matters too – Gratitude and Hope.

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