Is Your Life Full of Disappointment?

Summary

The article discusses the concept of disappointment and the importance of living in the present moment to avoid missing out on life's opportunities.

Abstract

The author reflects on the etymology of the word 'disappointment,' linking it to the Latin prefix 'dis' meaning 'not,' and emphasizes that disappointment arises from unmet expectations. Life's inevitable disappointments, such as missed opportunities or unfulfilled promises, are contrasted with the deeper disappointment of neglecting the present moment, or the 'appointment with Now.' The article suggests that by being mindful and fully present, one can avoid the greater disappointment of failing to engage with the current moment and, instead, offer their unique contributions right now. The author, Marlane, encourages readers to embrace mindfulness and provides a personal website for further exploration of mindfulness topics.

Opinions

The author believes that understanding the root of words can provide insight into their meanings and implications in our lives.
Disappointment is seen as a result of not being present in the now, rather than just external circumstances.
The article posits that living in the past or future, rather than the present, leads to a cycle of regret, fear, and unfulfilled hope.
The author concludes that by being mindful and keeping our 'appointment with Now,' we can avoid disappointing the universe and ourselves.
There is an emphasis on the idea that being present allows us to give what we can in the moment, which is our true purpose.
The author shares a personal revelation about choosing not to worry about life's disappointments and instead focusing on being present.
The article implies that mindfulness can transform our experience of life's inevitable disappointments.

What can you do about it?

I’m not an etymologist. I don’t study the origin of words and how their meaning has altered over time. But when I was eleven years old I had a teacher who loved Latin. He covered the chalk board with prefixes and suffixes, and excitedly expounded how they changed the meaning of words.

So I know that the prefix dis means not.

Therefore, I know the word dis-appointment means someone’s feeling sad because she wasn’t appointed to the position she wanted (Chief Petty Officer, perhaps), or he’s feeling hurt because the young woman with long red hair that glistens in moonlight isn’t standing under the first lamp post on Pont Neuf in Paris at midnight as arranged. She failed to keep her appointment with him.

Life is full of disappointments. People don’t always get what they want or do what they say they will. I’ve had a book deal fall through, and recently had a message from my dentist: Where are you? Oops! I paid for my forgetfulness and rescheduled.

These dis-appointments are things easily borne or sorted out.

But there’s an appointment we all have that more often than not turns into a dis-appointment.

The appointment we keep forgetting to keep is our appointment with Now.

We’re never at Now. We’re behind time or ahead of time: living in the past or projecting into the future. Jumping from regret to fear to hope, and back again, in an endless cycle that leaves us anywhere but here, now.

I’ve recently come to a conclusion: I’m not going to worry about the disappointments that happen in my life. Instead, I’m going to become aware of how I may be disappointing the universe by not being present, by not being where I need to be to provide what I can give at this time, in this moment.

Living with mindfulness

In one of his most famous poems, Thou art indeed just, Lord, the Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins cries out:

. . . and why must / Disappointment all I endeavour end?

A simple answer to this timeless human cry is that our lives are full of disappointment because we’re not keeping the one appointment we’re here to keep.

Don’t dis-appoint the universe.

Keep your appointment with Now.

With love, Marlane

Thanks for reading! I hope it helps you for the rest of your life. For more articles on Mindfulness, visit me at https://www.marlaneainsworth.com