Assuming you don’t isolate yourself from the entire human world, you will have people in your life who are important to you. It probably isn’t a surprise to you that these people, every single one of them, will let you down at some point. Maybe they bail on you last minute, ignore that phone call you needed them to answer, or say something that you don’t agree with. Or maybe they just make a mistake. Regardless of whether that mistake was large or small, personal or not, it hurts to be let down.
When we really boil it down, people let us down when they don’t meet our expectations. Ultimately, you get disappointed when someone important to you turns out to be someone different than what you had thought, wanted, or needed them to be. When someone lets you down, here are the two things I want you to remember: it’s okay to be upset, but you’re not perfect either.
When someone lets you down, it’s okay to be mad. It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to be disappointed. It’s okay to be upset with that person. They hurt you, so it’s only natural to be upset with them. Don’t feel bad for reacting negatively, and never apologize for being disappointed.
Do you want to know another secret? You don’t even have to get over it. When someone lets you down so badly that your perception of them changes dramatically and you don’t want to give them the opportunity to do so again, you don’t have to keep that person in your life.
Of course, forgiveness is important. If you don’t forgive someone when they disappoint you, you’re doing an injustice to both that person and yourself. But here’s the thing about forgiveness: it’s not passive and it doesn’t mean you’re giving up. Forgiveness does not equate to acceptance. When you forgive, you do not necessarily condone. That person hurt you, and you don’t have to agree with what they did to hurt you, nor do you have to let that person back into your life.
With all this said, I would like to remind you that for every person that has let you down, you’ve let them down as well. How can I be so sure? Because absolutely no one is perfect. So be gracious.
Don’t put all of your faith into a person. If you do, you’ll be extra upset when they disappoint you. Remember that you can’t be someone’s everything, so don’t make someone your everything. Try to protect yourself from disappointment.
Protect yourself from disappointment, but don’t isolate yourself. Other people are fantastic, and it’s incredibly unfortunate that other people will let you down. It’s a part of life. But when it happens, be upset but be forgiving. It takes time, but the result is worth it because, at the end of the day, you can’t live without other people.
