Dealing with disappointment
Many of us have had to deal with disappointment at one point or another in our careers especially when it comes to applying for a well-deserved position or promotion. It is usually a time when we feel down and wonder why things didn’t work out the way we wanted. The feeling could sometimes be so overwhelming so much so you just want to curl up in bed all day and never try again. At other times, it is a feeling of optimism, a feeling that propels you to try and try again until you achieve your goal. The latter is where we want to be in the face of a disappointing situation. That point when you realize that the event does not define who you are and how much you can achieve.
Today, I had the opportunity to sort of encourage a younger friend ( we haven’t met in person) who had just gotten a ‘rejection’ email from a potential supervisor. I could sense the sore disappointment in her voice. I did try to cheer her up and share my story with her but after our conversation, I felt like I hadn’t done a good enough job. I don’t know if it is just me over thinking things or maybe the truth is simply that I find it easier to encourage myself when I am disappointed than encourage someone else. This is because I understand that people grieve differently and they also heal differently. So sometimes, it is just hard to know if you have communicated the healing words or just rambled away. Anyway, I intend to keep trying to give off the positive vibe any chance I get. So and in light of this, I choose today, to encourage anyone who has experienced a disappointment in the past week. Please always remember that in the end, a failure is just an event and not who you are.
Painting by Tasneem
In my own understanding,learning to deal with disappointments/rejection has come through direct experience which then birth maturity... Now I breeze through easily, here are a few tips that have helped me
ReplyDelete1. Manage Your Expectations- Don't go applying for that position thinking you're the only one qualified to do so. Many others will equally do so too and of the lot, perhaps only one person might get picked, it might be you or someone else.
2. Don't put your eggs in one basket- There is no law that says you can't apply for 10 positions you are qualified for at the same time, based on the law of averages you're likely to conver 2 of 10 out of those opportunities.
3. Keep Applying- This sounds similar to 2 but its quite different. I kept on applying and applying such that when one rejection came, I had 6 others I was still looking forward to and this helped cushion the effect or impact of the current rejection.
4. Have Faith in God- This is the ultimate. Faith in God that He will not forsake you, that He has given you your talents to use them for the benefit of mankind.
Stay positive, keep pushing, don't stop till you get your hearts desires..
Happy Days :)
Spot on. You made very good points.
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