"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
Eleanor Roosevelt was a wise woman to say those words.
Even when I was little, I made plans. I had a timeline drawing out everything that I planned on doing with my life. Then, I grew up and fell flat on my face.
The stars don't always line up with what you want. Destiny is complicated and hard and wonderful, all at the same time.
That was a hard lesson for me to learn. Not everything in this world is intended for you. You will throw your heart and dreams into a crazy scheme, an unbelievable opportunity, or a long-shot chance.
And you will fail. Most likely, more than once.
In the moment, you will feel hurt and disappointed. You may cry or sulk. But don't just stop there. Just because the stars did not align this time does not mean that they never will. It just means that this scheme, this opportunity, this chance was not yours. Yours is coming. You must be patient.
You are supposed to accept that there is a lesson to learn here. You're supposed to move on quietly and nobly and accept that this is not your moment to shine. For some people, quietly eating the crow does not work. If you cannot eat the crow quietly, learn to channel any resentment gracefully. Channel that resentment into passion — a passion that will burn within you when you do find success when the stars all line up for you.
Life is supposed to knock you down. It is supposed to hurt. But that is what makes you resilient. The disappointment is what makes you appreciate those rare moments when everything seems to line up and you feel like you are on top of the world. The days when it feels like everything is falling apart are essential to truly knowing when good things have happened to you. Without disaster, living in a perpetual world of happiness would be a monotonous, boring and unappreciative life.
So as much as it hurts, you have to accept the disappointment — whether it is a lost game, a test you performed poorly on, an award that you didn't win, the end of an important relationship or the death of a close friend.
I have been there. And I will be blunt, the hurt sucks. Some days you will feel absolutely miserable and unmotivated. You will be consumed with guilt or regret. You may even spend weeks wondering why this unfortunate turn of events had to happen to you.
However, I have come out on the other side. Here's the best advice I can give you.
Do not give up on yourself. Do not forget what you aspire to be and aspire to do.
Your stars will align. Give it time.
