By JANET HART LEONARD
From the Hart
Have you ever had a moment when something you wanted, so badly, didn’t come to fruition? Talk about spoiling the fruit of your hopes.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of disappointment, I will fear no hurt.
Have you ever wanted something so badly that when you didn’t get it you just dwelled on the disappointment for hours … okay, days?
Self-doubt enters the room. That is a large elephant that no one can see but you. Am I right?
What could I have done differently? What changes would I make in the future? Would I even try again?
Those vicious voices say you aren’t good enough. Oh, how well I know those voices. They have haunted me since I was a little girl. Some days they are just really loud and hurtful. There is no duct taping their voices. Trust me, if I could, I would have done so, many years ago.
I remember my daughter, Emily, trying out for Grinder cheerleader when she was in the fifth grade. She had that routine perfected so much that she could have done it in her sleep. On the day of the tryouts, she came down with severe laryngitis. It threw her off her game … literally. The judges said it was a “No” from them. I’m not sure who was more upset, me or her. It was made even more bitter when her best friend, Angie, made the cheerleader squad.
My daughter has taught me well. Emily showed up and cheered, for the Grinder Football team as well as for the cheerleaders. She came alongside her best friend (now her sister-in-law) and congratulated her. She stayed in the game. She just had a different place from which she was cheering.
Life brings us disappointments. What we do with those disappointments is the key to how we live our life.
You didn’t get the job. You didn’t get the votes. You didn’t get the promotion. You didn’t get the deal. You didn’t get the listing. You didn’t get the acceptance letter.
The expectation is high and then you get let down. The higher the expectation, the greater the letdown. Disappointment hurts. The hurt stings your heart.
Holding disappointment too long can bring about bitterness. The bitterness pill is never sweet. Don’t swallow it.
Disappointments are just heart injuries that heal with time … sometimes, longer than we like.
Disappointments are challenges that spur you on or hold you back. The decision is yours.
This is where wisdom comes in. Disappointments may come to visit, but you don’t have to live with them.
Yesterday, I was in the valley of disappointment. Today? I am looking back, only for a moment. I have blessings to count and words to write. I also have people to cheer for!
Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.