We are all trying to “puzzle” our way through life. As you piece together your identity, consider the people, communities, and values that impact you.
Living the life of an optimist, one naturally filled with hope, how do you continually reconcile a seemingly never-ending barrage of disappointment? Certainly, merely choosing to live optimistically or being hopeful doesn’t make you immune to disappointment, nor does it mean that everything you hope for will come true.
But for an optimist, that doesn’t matter. Optimism and disappointment are not antithetical. They co-exist in perfect harmony. In truth, the relationship between hope and disappointment is symbiotic, not mutually exclusive.
Often people think that if you have “realistic” expectations, you’ll be better prepared for let downs. They think that if you are optimistic and too hopeful, you’ll have farther to fall. Because of this, many people don’t dare to hope—there’s too much risk.
So they hedge their dreams based on what they perceive to be the most likely outcome, and as such, they usually get what they aim for (since they don’t aim as high). The result is that when they do miss, it’s a bigger deal. They’re not as used to it.
But someone who lives in hope experiences disappointment all the time, for you very seldom get exactly what you hoped for. So “disappointment” simply becomes part of the process, and you start to view it differently—much like a runner becomes accustomed to the pain of running. To them, running isn’t pain; running is an outlet—it’s freeing, and it’s emotional. But when you’re not a runner, running is painful.
So when the hopeful don’t realize the full extent of their desire, it’s very seldom disappointing at all. Instead, they’re usually fueled by their failure. It spurs them to try again, and again, and again.
You don’t lower your aim just because you missed. You just shoot again.
-Rusty
P.S. You may also want to see “Four reasons why hope breeds success“.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, please bookmark it by clicking on the button below and selecting a service so others can find it too. Many thanks.
We are all trying to “puzzle” our way through life. As you piece together your identity, consider the people, communities, and values that impact you.
You’ve likely heard the children’s story about the ugly duckling. What difference does a change in perspective make? Read on to find out how you can relate to his experience.
You are capable of greatness. In fact, it is already within you. You just need to discover it, and then work to bring your life into alignment so that your life's mission and your life become one and the same. That's when you'll shine. That's when you'll experience full joy and fulfillment, when you're actions align to your purpose. We can help.
The night I quit my job I had a decision to make: wait, or just start. I chose to just start and held a seminar the next day. People in motion tend to stay in motion and people at rest tend to stay at rest. So whatever it is you've been waiting to do... just start!
The hardest handicaps to overcome are mental. It happens when we tell ourselves the wrong story. Change the story.
The funny, but insightful story about how we tend to destroy what is most precious to us. A video from an international speech competition.
Life Engineering is dedicated to helping individuals, parents, leaders, and organizations achieve excellence.
We provide the tools and the training, the motivation and the methodology, an entire system designed to help you move beyond where you’ve been, to go farther than you thought you could… to achieve more, to do more, to become more. It’s about more than just short-term success. It’s the disciplined pursuit of excellence.