What to Do When Things Don’t Turn Out the Way You Wanted

I’ve never used this forum to talk about politics and I don’t plan to change this guiding principle any time soon.

But I do think that there’s no better time than the present moment to share some strategies that are guaranteed to help you find comfort and peace when things don’t turn out exactly the way you wanted them to.

TRUTH: Life is full of disappointments.

Whether it’s a Presidential election, a job interview, promotion, a family issue, friendship or frustration with yourself, it’s all part of the journey. When your expectations aren’t met you can feel  disappointed, angry, stressed, fearful, unhappy, inadequate, hurt, sad, negative and –  even hate.

These emotions are like a wave of bad energy that knocks you to your knees and leaves you feeling frustrated and helpless.

It’s not a good place to be and the longer you stay there, the harder it is for you to get up and get moving again.

Below you’ll find five actionable tips to help you deal with disappointment and role the negative energy you’re feeling into something healthy and productive.

1. Get moving.

Looking for some positive energy? Exercise gets your blood pumping and releases endorphins in your brain that lift your mood and boost your energy level.

It changes the way you feel pretty quickly and gives you the motivation and clarity you need to do better and feel good about yourself.

2. See the good.

It’s a challenge to find good when you’re feeling angry and afraid. Good is out there but when you’re upset it’s more difficult for you to see.

Slow-down and catch a glimpse of the sunset tonight and you’ll understand what I mean.

Good can be found in the most disappointing and difficult situations. It appears in the form of lessons learned, positive solutions, caring and helpful people, random acts of kindness and HOPE.

When you train your brain to see the good, you look past the negativity, judgment and bias to find respect, understanding and opportunity.

3. Keep moving.

The most happy and successful people keep moving forward no matter how they feel.

When life throws curve balls, this amazing group doesn’t make excuses or blame others – they hit the reset button, focus on what they can control and keep moving forward.

They know that taking small consistent action no matter what, trumps (no pun intended) no action every time and that it’s much harder to get started when you stop.

4. Replace fear with faith.

I believe everything happens for a reason regardless of the circumstances. In the end it’s God’s plan and it happens on his time.

When things don’t work out as planned – it’s your job to learn from it and roll the pain, fear and negativity that you’re feeling into something proactive and good.

Some helpful ways to connect with your higher power include – prayer, meditation, yoga, positive affirmations and connecting with nature. Remember that beautiful sunset I told you about earlier?

Choosing faith over fear and doubt helps you to grow and is a much more effective use of your energy.

5. Serve others.

You get what you give in life.

When you’re feeling helpless and alone, take that negative energy and use it to help others.

When you do good for someone else you feel better about yourself.

Serving others makes you realize that no matter how you’re feeling, you have beautiful gifts and talents that can make a positive difference in someone else’s life.

Always remember that others need what you have to give!

Now it’s your turn…

Tell me about a time when things didn’t happen the way you wanted. What did you do to flip the script into something helpful and positive?

Try to share as much detail as possible in your reply. Your story can provide insight and inspiration to someone else.

Thanks you for your support and participation. Together we’ll help each other be better and live happier!