Disappointments Are Not Dead Ends
Life is like a roller coaster – it has many ups and downs! There are times when the unexpected erupts, and our plans are abruptly changed. It’s interesting to observe how people cope with the unexpected, especially if the sudden change has a negative bearing on their plans. We have all had our share of disappointments. We have all known what it means to have it rain on our parade.
How you respond to the storms of life is often an indicator of the strength of your character. Too many people get sidelined when life throws them a curved ball. Reality of life is that curve balls should be expected. (Not that we focus on the negative, but we are wise enough to know there are seasons in life). Therefore each one of us should get good at doing pressure, storms and disappointments.
The following points are from a Book, by Author and Motivational Speaker, John Maxwell, titled Think on These Things.
Here are some observations I use that lift me when I’m disappointed:
1. Disappointments are only delays.
Who says that every setback must be final? What cannot be enjoyed today will possibly be yours tomorrow. Reshuffle your plans. Anticipation is as much fun as arrival. With the delay you have more time to plan and become excited.
2. Disappointments are instructional.
Many times a person can learn from a setback. Valuable lessons freely flow our way when our plans are denied or postponed.
3. Disappointments are just stop signs.
There are times when evaluation is necessary in each of our lives. Perhaps the promotion that was expected but did not materialize will encourage you to consider another avenue to the top. Remember – the road to success is uphill all the way.
4. Disappointments are times of adjustment.
Too many times life becomes routine and boring. Schedules can become too rigid and unexciting. Some of your greatest moments can be times when you’re forced out of that rut because of a turn of events. When you’re forced to adjust your plans, begin to look for a fresh idea, a new friend, and a better day.
5. Disappointments are preventives.
When a setback occurs, it’s good to take a brief moment to analyze the reason for it. Often ineffective communication, insufficient resources and a lack of planning cause an individual to fall short of the goals desired. Thorough preparation will eliminate many disappointments.
6. Disappointments are pacesetters.
Athletes are discouraged when an injury does not heal as quickly as desired. That type of a setback is for the good of the ball player. The pain of the injury is setting the pace for his or her body to heal properly. You may need some type of a roadblock to be placed in front of your progress so that your physical, emotional or spiritual well-being can become properly balanced for the road you’re to travel.
7. Disappointments are merely obstacles.
Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, humanity has not had an easy life. Thorns grow beside the rose. Weeds spring up in the garden. Clouds hide the sunshine, and disappointments cloud our days. But remember – this is the way life is. Capitalize on those experiences.
8. Disappointments are indicators.
Disappointments sometimes indicate that problems loom ahead. Disappointments may indicate that adjustments of our priorities need to be made. Most important of all, how you react toward disappointments that cross your way will indicate what kind of a person you are and will become. How you act toward life shows what type of a person you want to be. How you react toward life shows what type of person you are right now.
9. Disappointments are necessary.
For total development, different kinds of experiences must come your way. There’s no possible way that the fruit of maturity can be in evidence in your life without your experiencing disappointments. Some of life’s greatest virtues – such as faith, patience, perseverance and hope – come by way of disappointments. Only then will you realize that every problem in life has a solution. Only then will you have the important ingredients within your character to seek that solution instead of being perplexed by the problem.
10. Disappointments are tests.
The greatest test for your character is what it takes to stop you. Successful people realize that the door to the room of success swings on the hinges of setbacks and opposition. The most noticeable difference between those who achieve and those who fail is seen in the area of perseverance. Everyone has disappointments. Every person faces roadblocks. The one who succeeds is the one who will not quit.
11. Disappointments are motivators.
There are times in our lives when we become apathetic and listless. There is seemingly no motivation. Sometimes disappointments stun us and shake our lives until there is aroused in us an eager desire to spring out of our apathy into action. My motivation to become a soul winner began when a friend whom I had failed to share my faith with died. Suddenly, through that disappointment, I was motivated to change my entire ministry and place at the top of my priority list the winning of others to Christ.
12. Disappointments are eliminators.
Sometimes we have our hearts set on the wrong things, and what we regard as misfortunes may be the very means of making possible that which could otherwise not be achieved. Just as it’s important for a successful mountain climber to eliminate all dead weight, it’s needful for us to have many unnecessary priorities eliminated from our lives in order that we may climb to the top. Disappointments many times consume these unimportant weights that would hold us back.
13. Disappointments are normal.
Disappointments alone don’t have a positive or negative impact of themselves. By our reaction toward disappointments, we make them either positive or negative. Two people can have the same disappointment with a totally different outcome. It’s how we handle the setbacks in our lives that will determine our success.
14. Disappointments are one of life’s trials.
Heb 12:11 says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” In other words, how happy are tried Christians afterward! Victory banquets are for soldiers home from war. After killing the lion, we eat the honey. If we can sing in the dungeon, how much more beautifully will we sing in heaven!
15. Disappointments are stepping-stones.
The king of the mountain stands upon stones of difficulty and opposition. Victorious is that person who knows how to make stepping stones out of stumbling stones. As each stone is placed on our pathway to the top, it either becomes a help or a hindrance, depending upon how we handle each situation. Climb on top of each stone and go higher toward victory.
Categories: Family, Life, Motivational, Wisdom for life
peterpilt 
Thank you for that. I really encouraged me to look at the silver lining of my predicament.