As you walk through the path of life, you meet people who can hurt you and let you down. These can be your loved ones, friends, relatives, or even those whom you helped along the way.
An acquaintance was hospitalized due to leukemia. He was always in and out of the hospital. The medical expenses are draining him and his wife financially. They asked help from their daughter who works abroad. His wife emailed her many times, but their plea fell on deaf ears.
Writer Dave Bach in “EmpowHer website” shared this story: “My mother-in-law had taken in a young girl, Tonya, and raised her as her own. Now, she was out on her own, married with two children. When my mother-in-law’s health was failing, Tonya offered to make some lasagna and bring it to her. She never did, nor did she called, or check on her anyway.”
These scenarios are facts of life which are inevitable. An anonymous writer commented that people fail us. Some people don’t mean to let you down, others do it intentionally. Whether it's making a promise they didn’t keep, not doing something they would do for you or saying something hurtful. Or, sometimes people let us down because we have unrealistic expectations from them.
There are ways wherein we can cope up with people who let us down. In my case, whenever I help someone I don’t expect anything in return. This beautiful thought of an anonymous writer serves as my inspiration, "I pass this world but only once; anything that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now. Let me not defer it for I shall not pass this way again.”
However, Back and the “wikiHow.com” cite the following tips whenever people would let us down:
Let it go. When people don’t behave the way you want, need or expect, you are merely adding to your own stress, if you continue to waste time trying to contact them. Stop trying and move on because the time you spent trying to get to them is the time that be better spent addressing the problem at hand.
*Be proactive and start working an alternative. The best way to take your mind off of your disappointment is to find another way of getting the help you need.
*Put your problems in perspective. Ask yourself, “ Will this matter one year from now? A week? One month? A lot of times asking this question will bring you back to reality. Talk to a rational, calm, sympathetic friend or relative about your situation.
*Be grateful. Stop moping about whatever it is that went wrong. And start thinking about all the things that are “going right in your life. Chances are you have a lot to be thankful for: a nice home, a loving family, a promising career, and good health.
*See the silver lining in the situation. You may think that there is absolutely nothing positive in the situation, like losing a loved one or job.
Remember that when one door is closed, another door will be opened. Cheer! It’s not the end of the world.