Dealing with disappointment gracefully, whether it’s a large or small one, is both an emotional challenge and a time management skill.
And it’s so important to have this skill in your toolbox.
I recall being struck, years ago, by a story from the sports world that is a perfect illustration of this.
The situation involved a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Armando Galarraga, who lost his bid for a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that the first base umpire made a mistake on. Though I am not a big sports buff by any means, I understand that a perfect game in baseball is a very, very big deal. And from what I recall, this umpire made a very, very big mistake.
Dealing with disappointment gracefully:
So what did the pitcher do after the bad call?
Galarraga looked stunned and the fans went silent in disbelief. A couple of other players put their hands to their heads. But the pitcher quickly and quietly went back to work as the crowd started to boo.
The manager continued to argue the call as Galarraga quickly retired the last batter for the one-hit shutout.
I am so struck by the quiet dignity of this response to what must have been a huge disappointment to this young man. He managed his reaction and returned to complete the work at hand.
The lesson for us…
In our daily lives, we experience disappointments, small and large, all the time. These blows to our hopes and expectations are always challenging. How do you cope?
In this baseball story we see the importance of taking a deep breath and not reacting in the moment. He did not lose his composure or his temper, but completed his work quietly and walked off the field, dealing with disappointment gracefully.
OFF the field, he had space to experience and share a whole range of feelings, and I hope that he did. But whenever he looks back on that moment ON the field, he will always see his dignified response. In doing that he has given an expansive gift to himself and to everyone who observed the situation. And he did not create further issues to be dealt with. That’s where he also saved himself time and reclaimed his power.
More help for dealing with disappointment gracefully:
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