I used to, until my mid-twenties, believe that not expecting anything is the best policy. Eventually I realised that not only is that not humanly possible, it is also setting oneself up for failure in dealing with your own situations.
Being human also means having expectations and some times, they can't be met. Besides, you cannot control others' actions. What you can do is find a way of being ok with being disappointed. Most people will disappoint you and you most likely will have disappointed many people in your life at some point too. The trick is in being reasonable and letting things slide.
Then comes the issue of dealing with disappointment in different relationships. It's somehow easy to forgive certain people than it is others. It's different for everyone. Now, I have managed to find a way of letting things slide with most people. Or, I just don't trust anymore and steer clear(another issue, for another day). The one place I still don't find reconciliation yet though, is my disappointment with mentors/people I've looked up to.
For the longest time, I couldn't put anyone on a pedestal - and then I did. Two women who disappointed me in their own ways. Most likely, they don't even realise this and by their measure, they did everything they could. I recognise this. And yet, I am yet to come to terms with the feelings of betrayal.
I haven't spoken to them of course and I doubt it will do anything if I do speak to them. But, it's been a while and this resurfaces. So, I wondered how others deal with their disappointments?
