How do you handle disappointment? We all seem to handle disappointments in various ways. Some are more passive at not having things go their way. Others are much more aggressive and explosive. As though everything revolves around them and it should always happen as they deem necessary. Last night I spent some time watching a college football game which didn’t go in my team’s favor. Today I was disappointed because something didn’t occur at the time I thought it should. Ranting and raving wouldn’t have seemed fair to those around me so I chose to just accept these minor disappointments and only place so much significance upon them. It’s the thoughts over mood connection that helps make healthy decisions.

In their helpful manual “Mind Over Mood” Dennis Greenberger, PhD and Christine A. Padesky, PhD explain that “whenever we experience a mood, there is a thought connected to it which helps define the mood…different thoughts or interpretations of an event can lead to different moods in the same situation.” This is certainly true when it comes to driving on our busy streets. Think of those who have the capacity to sit patiently on crowded highways day after day and those who must take alternative routes to prevent themselves from doing that same thing. That’s why it becomes so important to clearly think through circumstances before allowing emotions to get the better of us.

A key factor is being able to accept the circumstances that lead to disappointment. Instead of striving with them learn to adapt. Disappointment is bound to occur in some way in our lives. The direction we take to meet the challenge to overcome that disappointment is created by our thoughts and moods and how they direct us.