Have you ever been disappointed? (If you say no, I’ll be shocked!)

Disappointment seems to be just another lame part of being human, though I sometimes think I face more disappointment than most. Maybe you didn’t get the position you were wanting at work, or the person you asked out said no. Maybe the store was out of your favorite ice cream… disappointment is disappointment.

I’m reminded often that I am often disappointed because I have “ridiculously high” expectations. Someone once informed me that if I didn’t set such high expectations, I wouldn’t be so disappointed. You know what? They’re right.

I keep this quote around because when I face another disappointment it reminds me that I’m getting stronger. Does it make the disappointment easier to take? Not even a little bit. But it does give me the confidence to set and stick to other expectations. What’s even more beautiful is that when my sky-high expectations are actually met, I can flex my disappointment muscle and tell it to sit back and be still.

Expectations may not always be met but they should always be set – the higher the better. Disappointment may not be fun but it makes the wins that much sweeter. If you aren’t disappointed sometimes, maybe your expectations aren’t high enough! Have you set low expectations? You deserve to set them high so you can enjoy the big beautiful wins!

Sarah Deats

Sarah Deats is the Arizona Outpatient Support Services Manager at RI International and the Hope Inc. Stories Inspiration Engineer. Her goals are to make a connection with everyone that she can while building community, spreading hope, and sparking change. She believes that while life may not be easy, it is never lived alone.