“Disappointment, as uncomfortable and even painful as it can be for me and many of us, is essential and important on our journey of growth, self-discovery, authenticity and fulfillment. ” – Mike Robbins

This came from the an article by Mike Robbins titled, It’s OK to Disappoint People.You can red the article by clicking its title. It really opened my eyes. I think many of us spend so much time and energy worry about disappointing others or worrying about being disappointed. No matter what we do, both are going to happen in life, we can’t avoid it. Not everyone is always going to be happy with what you say or choose to do, and that’s alright. We can use these moments of disappointment as learning curves on our journey.

I think if I step back and start to really express and do that which I REALLY want to do I will be happier. Too few of us focus on what we actually want and need to be happy out of fear of disappointment. Robbins makes a good point in the article and a friend of mine and I discussed this the other day; what it is we truly desire:

Expand and express your desires. Make a list (mental or written) of some of the most important and vulnerable desires you currently have — the things you really want, but maybe have been afraid to admit (due to a fear of being disappointed). Many of us, myself included, don’t ask for things, go for things or express things unless we’re pretty sure we can make them happen, get them, or be sure people will respond to them in a positive way. While this makes sense, it’s also quite limiting. When you allow yourself to tap into and express your authentic desires, even if what you want doesn’t seem “possible” at the moment, you give yourself the freedom to ask, dream and create. One of my favorite sayings is, “The answer’s always ‘no’ if you don’t ask.” Start asking!

What do YOU desire? Make a list and listen to yourself. Try and please you and you alone, the rest will fall into place as it should. Disappointment is inevitable because we all have different agendas. Stick to yours! As once said, “Do not follow the ideas of others, but learn to listen to the voice within yourself.”