Dealing With Disappointment
Just wondering how athletes and other runners deal with disappointment.
I was at the Olympic Track and Field Trails yesterday - actually outside the main gate, but close enough to hear the starting gun. There were hundreds watching the last events unfold on twin Jumbotron Screens.
I was particularly sad to see Gabe Jennings fall behind in the final 1500. He had the lead and then gasp – it faded away.
Talk about disappointment. His dream postponed or erased?
A comment from Gabe after the race:
“I wanted it real bad…I guess I have to stick around for another four years now, damn.”
Many times when we are disappointed when want to blame others. We complain a lot. We get angry and even feel sorry for ourselves.
Worst yet – we stop taking risks. We don’t want to set ourselves up for another failure.
I run away (sorry for the pun) from my failures. I’m disappointed because my body did not behave as I had requested. Instead I should be more compassionate after all I’m only human.
Yes, there are some exceptional human beings – but I bet if I interviewed them they would mention that they also lost a few along the way.
How do you deal with disappointment?
"The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way. "
Robert Kiyosaki
