When People Disappoint You

It was a tough week. Physically and emotionally. But there were miracles.

The Universe handed me several important lessons. Some lessons were learned when good opportunities came with loopholes. Or when the feeling of being deeply let down or hurt led me to rise to my feet again and find a better way.

The sudden death of my mom last February was a wake up call. It was the greatest lesson I could have learned. It was a second chance. To live. And through that second chance, my priorities shifted, my dreams re-aligned, my perception forever changed.

People are going to disappoint you. Friends, lovers, co-workers, strangers, even family members. It's inevitable. The only thing we can really control is how we react to being disappointed. In the past, I was quick to forgive. I was often too eager to move past the awkward "we're fighting" stage for whatever reason: we had been friends for so long already, I didn't want to be alone, but we had so much fun together, etc. After my mom died, that all changed. I had to re-examine everything. More importantly, when something tragic happens in your life, you find out who truly, truly cares for you.

Now, let me just say that I've always been the type of person who does not, will not, ask for help. When people have offered their help, it's always, "Oh, no it's okay, but thank you!" But when my mom died, I was immediately surrounded by angels on this earth. I will never, ever forget the way certain people have made me feel and continue to make me feel to this day. The people that stepped up, went/go out of their way, show me what it means to be loved. To really be loved. And that has changed everything for me.

I let go of the mediocre friendships. The people who never said, "thank you." The guys who wanted to have their cake and eat it too. Life is too short to be anything but happy, my friends. And I learned that part of being happy is surrounding yourself with people and things that align with your truest potential. People who support you in every sense.

Don't get me wrong. None of us are perfect. We each fall, and fail, and manage to let someone down from time to time. But examine what you tolerate. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Be able to tell the difference between someone who feels remorse and someone who is seeking a quick fix.

Recently, I've had to re-examine what I tolerate. I knew that in order to live a life of abundance, positivity, and love, I had to change the negative pattern I had of allowing people to fool me twice or thrice. As difficult as it was to cut the cord recently, I am grateful for the situations that occurred because they presented me with the opportunity to say, "That's it. I've had enough."

Examine what you tolerate. If you have friendships and relationships with people who disappoint you more often than not, ask yourself, does this relationship align with my values, with my purpose, with my happiness? Love yourself. Put your foot down. Make room in your life for the love and miracles that are meant for you. The miracles will come.