Life is full of disappointments.

Life is built on peaks and valleys. It is what you do with what you are given that matters.

Study after study shows that being resilient is one of the best qualities to live a happy and fulfilled life.

Our recent trip to South America and Antarctica gave us opportunities to be disappointed because of the weather. Our route was changed a few times because of high winds like 115 mph through the Drake Passage. Boy, were we moving all around. The 40-60 foot waves made us miss most of the first day in Antarctica, just skirting past Elephant Island and overlooking Admiralty Bay. Amazing to watch the waves splash on the lower levels on the ship’s windows and decks. We are on the 11th floor so none came past our windows or balcony. The fog kept us from seeing Neumayer Channel, which the Captain had said was beautiful and had majestic cliffs. Snow was falling fast, clouding our vision of the area.

But as the Captain said, “It is Antarctica, and you never know what she will give you.”

Disappointment can have many lessons for you.

What are you attached to?

How are your expectations getting in your way of being present for the experience life is giving you?

Is it an opportunity to let go of control and accept what is?

We could take in the moments of everything happening in space and time rather than worry about what is supposed to happen.

We knew this trip was an adventure with lots of excitement. And it was.

We knew it would be fun and exciting, different from what we had done before. That’s why we signed up for this adventure.

You can’t help but marvel at the magnificence of the area. It reminds your nature is the master.

Antarctica is a fantastic beauty of nature. It makes you stop and wonder how it was created. The height of the ice mountains and glaciers are unbelievable. The design of the icebergs floating by makes you wonder what caused them to break free, how long they have been on their own, and why the penguins choose this one and not that. Or even still, how do these animals survive? We even saw 5 kayaks out in the waters. How did they get there, how did they survive, and where were they going? We were told scientists were out on expeditions in differing areas, so that is who was out in those kayaks. The humpbacks are close to the boat. It’s fun to enjoy them, whether on their own or with babies following along. I loved going from the port side to starboard to ensure we had a panoramic view of everything. FOMO…

We had the Captain and naturalists sharing the highlights and points of importance about the history, geology, and experiences.

Even though things were changing time after time, what we were able to experience was beyond our knowledge and understanding. Magical. Our pictures don’t capture the beauty and awe of the area. Hopefully, our minds will remember.

How can you use all of the disappointments in your life to help you become more alive and more into what is happening right now? To let go of your agenda of how life is supposed to be?

How can you allow disappointment not to be a negative but an opportunity to wake you up?

What old patterns of handling disappointments can you release and let go of?

How can you see that everything in life is for you?

How can you allow disappointment to free you?

Life is full of situations that could be disappointing, but with a shift in perspective, you can see how something more significant is there for you.
What disappointment are you facing that you could change how you view it?