Disappointments. Pesky little things that can derail a person’s well-planned life, and yet with the right perspective that sometimes only time and distance can give, a failure can, in fact, morph into valuable insight.
There are a number of sayings that cover the subject of this message. The most recognizable is probably that “every dark cloud has a silver lining”. Or, from my fellow Oklahoman, Garth Brooks, “every curse is a blessing and every blessing is a curse.” But these platitudes don’t make you feel better when you are in the middle of one of those disappointments, and you have to ask yourself, “What do I do with this?” Good news! It’s all in how you interpret these setbacks.
As a writer, I’ve certainly had my share of disappointments, rejection letters, and snubs over the years. I won’t lie to you. It hurts, and it made me question myself, both as a writer and as a person. I’ve had my confidence shattered, and my spirit crushed. I’m confident you’ve had similar experiences, but thank goodness, (Now, here’s where the good news come in), you can choose how those disappointments impacts your life. A failure, or an opportunity to grow? Doesn’t that sound better already?
Try this. Make a list, (I’m a big list maker) and list all the disappointments you can remember. If you’re middle-aged or older, you may need two sheets of paper. Now, change how you interpret those pesky little disappointments. Instead of thinking that job you didn’t get was a missed opportunity, think about the other door that opened for you, and all the opportunities there you would have missed.
And, if you are a writer? How about that rejection letter? Use it as an opportunity to improve your writing. Didn’t get the contract you wanted from that fabulous traditional publisher? No worries. Now you have time to become an expert in your craft, learn how to market your book, increase your presence on social media, become a major influencer, and then dream of when the big publishers come knocking on your door!
As you can see, there’s so many ways to get where you want to go, and if one door slams in your face (and it will) find another door, window, or hole to climb through, and keep on keepin’ on. Grab your dreams by the tail and hang on, because the only thing that can stop you from living your dream life…is YOU!
Here are some of my dreams come true…
The Brides of the Rio Grande series
available in Kindle Unlimited on Amazon.com
Don’t EVER give up on your dreams!
Word by Word 
Oh my, Peggy, don’t we all have disappointments. They happy for a reason. When I first began and submitted to a contest, I received back a manuscript with “Why are you writing?” on the title page. I was crushed for two days. Then I decided no one can define my life except for ME. I worked hard and harder and eventually, the book was published.
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Good grief, Vicki. What kind of judge would do something like that? I’m so sorry for the experience and proud you ignored those words. I was lucky. My first judge said kindly, “Perhaps you should take a class on GMC.” The funny thing was I didn’t know what those letters stood for. LOL Good for you, Vicki, for proving someone wrong.
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I did have a lot to learn and that’s the purpose of contests. I persevered and the book took third in a prestigious contest.
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Hey, Peggy. What a great post. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this graphic before. Love it. And love that you used a phrase that has been my mantra for many years: Keep on keeping on. Thanks for these words. I’ve shared.
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Writing certainly has its ups and downs and some hard hits. It’s funny, but every time I think this is a waste of time and I’m considering moving on to something else, one little positive thing will happen — a nice review, a couple of sales, an invitation to a book event, etc. Those little things keep me going!
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