In a previous blog post I spoke about keeping your word. The idea being that if you keep your word you prevent upsetting others and are essentially promoting happiness. Of course, the reality is people do not always keep their word.

If someone lets you down or goes back on a promise, presumably you take it personally. It makes sense, after all it’s happened to you. Cos these things always happen to you right? Well yeah it did happen. However, everybody else gets disappointed too. Do you keep a count of when someone let your neighbour down? Do you even know when your neighbour was let down? What about the friend that let you down? Do you think he’s been let down to?

My point is, yes you were let down, but it happens to us all. It’s just easy to focus on your own stuff, because well they’re happening to you. The risk to your happiness is when you start to accumulate these disappointments, refusing to let them go. If you find yourself doing this, I suggest you take time to notice the times when people do not let you down. It will help you break down all or nothing thinking. You may also like to recognise times when you yourself let another person down. It’s okay, your only human. Forgive yourself and forgive others.

Something else to reflect on is that when someone breaks a promise they had their reasons. They may be flimsy and you may not like them, but to that person they are valid. As such try not to take what happened personally. People also make mistakes. If someone gets your order wrong in a restaurant, it’s not because they want to ruin your day. They don’t even know you. Try not to let your own thoughts create extra misery in addition to your original disappointment. You will feel better for it.

Best wishes

Julia