The Art of Being Disappointed: Spoiler, It's Not a Masterpiece

Tell me if you have at least one friend who’s done it all, been everywhere, met everyone who matters, makes all the money—and still seems more unimpressed by the world than ever before. What’s going on?

So, we’ve each honed our skills at being disappointed like it's some sort of dark art form. We’ve got our brushes of skepticism, our palette of pessimism, and our canvas of complaints. Sounds like a masterpiece in the making, right? Spoiler alert: it's not.

The Setup: Why Are We So Good at Being Disappointed?

First things first, let's acknowledge that we all have a Ph.D. in Disappointment Studies from the University of Life. But what makes us so proficient? We set ourselves up, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. And when things don't go as planned, we feel validated in our cynicism. "See? I told you so." But all this does is paint us into a corner.

The Problem with Being a Perpetual Pessimist

Being disappointed by default can be like wearing concrete shoes in summer—it's burdensome and unnecessary. You're not just affecting your mood; you're shaping your relationships, your work ethic, and yes, even your health. Constant disappointment can lead to stress, which we all know is a one-way ticket to countless health issues.

Breaking the Cycle: From Stick Figures to Renoirs

If being disappointed is an art, then it's time to choose a different medium. Flip the script. Find tiny moments of gratitude. Give yourself the space to grieve what’s lost to you, and acknowledge the ache of longing.

The artwork of your inner narrative will change as you become intimate with your current canvas.

The Importance of Keeping it Real

Now, don't get me wrong. Being perpetually happy-go-lucky has its own pitfalls. Ask me how I know. I’m a recovering people pleaser. The goal is not to replace one extreme with another but to find a balanced perspective that embraces reality. Every small step in an upward spiral counts.

The Rewards: A Gallery of Gains

Disappointment by default can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We try to safeguard ourselves from the inevitable consequences of being human, by bracing ourselves with “sour grapes” narratives.

When you become aware of this propensity—especially if your stoicism is dialled up way high—you can allow yourself to soften into the direct experience of your own humanity.

When you gradually stop making disappointment your go-to emotion, amazing things happen. Your stress levels drop, your relationships improve, and you might even find yourself achieving things you previously thought impossible. The world becomes a less hostile place, and you become a less hostile person. It's a brave journey.

Takeaways: Your Personal Exhibit

1. Acknowledge that default disappointment is a barrier between you and your intimacy with experience.

2. Exercise compassion for your own humanity.

3. Allow room for more space to breathe into your tendencies

4. Soften into the space of feeling fully.

So, let go of that brush, drop that palette, and step back from the canvas of disappointment. Why? Because life's too miraculous to create anything less than a masterpiece of diverse experiences and possibilities. Trust me; cultivating faith in life is a work of art worth creating.