So how did I overcome a major disappointment?
Failure. It’s part of the human experience. At some point we put ourselves out there with our hopes and dreams and at some point we fall short. Before I share with you my recent miss, here’s a little background first. I had discovered a major health coaching opportunity. It checked all the boxes in terms of growth, a chance to impact more people and level up my coaching. In short, it was a dream job. There would be some travel, working with an incredible, forward thinking group of people and being part of cutting edge practices in coaching.
I put everything I had into the process and it was intense. Round after round of writing essays, submitting projects and of course interviews. I knew I was capable of everything required and I was confident the other party would say yes. Until they said no. Of course I had doubts that would occasionally surface but I’d always brush them off and insist that indeed I would get this job.
Not gonna lie, it stung. So what did I do? I started with some positive mantras like, “It just means something better is coming along. This was just practice for the next opportunity.” By nature I’m hardwired to be a Pollyanna type of person. Always looking for the silver lining and seeing the glass as half full. You get the idea, but it wasn’t enough.
So I took the time to just sit with the disappointment. Really feel all the feelings and not try to push them aside. I even sat one afternoon on my living room floor and had a really good cry. I think it can be so easy for a Pollyanna person like myself to pass by the hard feelings and jump into the positive when sometimes we have to acknowledge the harder feelings first. I’m not suggesting setting up camp at a pity party but it’s okay to be disappointed. I mean I worked really hard and I knew I was right for the job!
Now the positive quotes and mantras feel authentic and I’m ready for them. I find the words Failing Forward popping up in my mind and on my social media which tells me I’m not alone and reminds me that failing is just part of the process. Will I have success in my future? Absolutely. Will I fail again? Without a doubt. But next time, I’ll remember to pause and acknowledge the disappointment then dust myself off, put on a bold red lip color and keep moving forward!