How To Handle Disappointment (For Real)
Ever find yourself feeling elated, excited + enthusiastic about life and then the next week find yourself feeling disappointed, sad or just crying in a heap?
This was me last month…riding high and then feeling really low.
The highs are easy, right?
But, when the low point came, I found myself saying things like “You know that feeling bad isn’t helping. You have a great life. Snap out of it. What’s your problem?”
Then, I finally allowed myself to just not feel good, to lay on the couch with my dog and simply sob for all kinds of reasons and for no reason at all (while telling him he has it all figured out – after all, “dog” is “god” backwards + that’s gotta mean something!)
I allowed myself to embrace the situation as it was, to feel whatever it was I was feeling without telling myself I should feel better or that I should be doing something else (something other than sobbing with my dog while my sweet husband offered his support.)
And ya know what? I highly recommend it.
What I came to discover is that the way “out” of those disappointing, frustrating + sad moments is to go fully through them.
The best way to handle it all is to allow yourself to come unhinged + give yourself permission to not have to “get it together” on demand.
So here’s what I now know.
It’s okay to feel disappointed.
It’s okay to feel frustrated.
It’s okay to be sad.
It’s okay to cry.
It’s okay to feel whatever it is you are feeling.
You gotta feel it to heal it.
The key for me was to stop judging that any of these emotions were bad or wrong, but to realize that they’re really just energy moving through me. Releasing them is everything.
And, to my own surprise, I didn’t get sucked into a black hole of darkness for days or weeks on end, like I thought I might.
Once I got through my own personal meltdown, at the end of it all, I actually started cracking up.
So I hope this helps you know that emotions are simply energy and when you face them and feel them, you will heal them.
So no matter what is or isn’t happening on this wild ride of your actor’s life, I hope you know that it’s okay to feel whatever it is you are feeling today.
Leave a comment below + lemme know what you are feeling right now. Declare it here. #IAllowMyselfToFeel________ and fill in the blank.
And another bonus of feeling all of your emotions, is that it might just help you become a better actor in the process.
Sending you lots of love + a virtual hug, no matter how you are feeling today.
Love + Gratitude,
-Wendy
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13 thoughts on “How To Handle Disappointment (For Real)”
Good advice, feel the emotion. I personally have been reading the Bible and says don’t be anxious.. give it all to God..and wow it works! Isaiah 41:10..
Denzel Washington also has great clips of advice. People will “drop off” in your life.. they are not on the same path.. let it happen, move forward, be grateful for everything.. see what happens!!!
Yes, you must face it and feel it to heal it and then move on. So glad this spoke to you!
I was disappointed by a friend, who is no longer who she was previously. As our paths separate, I must realize that the next things for me may not include her. New things coming, but still sad.
I appreciate you so much on this crazy ride!
#Iallowmyselftofeel nervous, sad, regretful, grief-stricken, joyful, excited, looking forward, adventurous, scared … seemingly everything all at once sometimes.
Sweet Rachel, isn’t this truly what it means to be alive, to fully feel all the emotions, even all at once? And I totally get it. And I’ve been there as well. So hold yourself gently in that space and #KeepGoingSunshine.💖
Love this . Just what I needed to hear today. Thank you.
I’m so glad it resonated with you! Thank you for sharing. 💖
Good stuff Wendy! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
#IAllowMyselfToFeel frustrated with my agent and super happy and grateful for where I am at right now!
And feel a huge amount of gratitude to you Wendy ! You are amazing! Xxx
# I allow myself to feel happy,sad,elated,frustrated,and i will use them to help me at my next audition and make me a better actor!
Wendy, I’ve been going through the same thing the past week!! Instead of hiding it, I talked about it with a good friend and let my family know how I was feeling and worked on NOT judging it. Didn’t feel good but I think I did gain a few insights as I kept following my spiritual practice even though I was not sure I was really giving myself over completely to it. And, it lifted after venting to that friend and continued to lift over the weekend. Had a great day yesterday and feel back to my normal positive self today. Didn’t hurt that I had an awesome Mother’s Day including surprise visits from my boys. ? The old saying “This too shall pass” while allowing yourself to go ahead and feel the feelings without judgement allows the miracle to work.
P.S. I think part of it was just the adjustment of coming down from a lot of the highs of the past few weeks (months). Maybe that was true for you too ?
I too , had an incredible March/April and then May was a big disappointment.I’ve been feeling pretty low the last couple of weeks feeling really down . I vented to a trusty girlfriend and now I feel like I’m getting back to a happier self but just allowing myself to feel my own angst and talking to a friend about it .This career is a big roller coaster and I’m learning to let myself go through the ebbs and flows , believe me , it’s not easy ! A big shout out to this course because it’s helping me go through it much easier and it’s nice to know I’m not alone .