“…if hope does not disappoint, then hope appoints….”
A few years back a dear friend sat with me as I was suffering the great disappointment of losing my job. He held space for me as I felt the sting of disappointment followed by anger, grief and struggled with a sense of desperation. At one point in the conversation he shared a portion of a bible verse that has stuck with me since: “…because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope… And hope does not disappoint us.” He went on to share that, if hope does not disappoint, then hope appoints… It wasn’t until some time later that the meaning began to sink in.
Below are a few varying, yet complimentary, perspectives on dealing with disappointment:
In his video talk, Facing Disappointment – Peter Amsterdam comments:
In each of our lives there have been times when we’ve felt that bitter sting of disappointment. When it occurs, it’s so hard to bear. The Bible says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Hope deferred, or disappointment, is really difficult to recover from.
When things don’t turn out as we’d hoped, either career-wise, or financially, in relationships, with our children, with missed opportunities that you were hoping for, it’s so difficult, so disheartening, and you can feel very alone… In the midst of times like these, the present is not only difficult, but the future seems so bleak as well. You may wonder, “Lord, where are You? Are You aware of my situation? Do You even care?”
Dealing with Disappointment – Abraham Hicks –
A feeling of disappointment is an indicator that what you are thinking right now is not a vibrational match to the desire that you hold.
When you have a desire for something and you believe that you cannot achieve it that is what that feeling of disappointment is.
All negative emotions no matter what you call it, in every single case mean you are activating a thought within you that does not match with your desire. Feeling of disappointment is a pattern of thoughts that is so constant, it is really what you believe and it is in opposition to something that you believe you want right now.
There is never any reason to be disappointed about something because everything that you want is flowing to you. Even if it seems that things are not unfolding right now the way you want.
Oprah’s advice to grads on dealing with failure:
This is what I wanna share. It doesn’t matter how far you might rise, at some point you are bound to stumble… because if you’re constantly doing what we do, raising the bar, if you are constantly pushing yourself higher, higher, the law of averages, not to mention the myth of Icarus, predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to know this, remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction. Now, when you’re down there in a hole, it looks like failure. So, this past year I had to spoon-feed those words to myself. And when you’re down in a hole, when that moment comes,… it’s really okay to feel bad for a little while. Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then, here’s the key: learn from every mistake… because every experience, encounter and particularly your mistakes… are there to teach you and force you into being more of who you are. And then, figure out what is the next right move.
https://youtu.be/FvzlXNcDX3M
Disappointment – the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations.
“…because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us…” – John 14:27-31
At our men’s Renewal (retreat) a few years back we explored the topic of Active Spirituality. We went deep learning and sharing with one another, and it is fair to say we all came away changed in some way.
Pema Chodron makes a good point related to self love in her own humorous, down to earth, thought provoking and spiritual way in this short talk. I invite you to take 5-minutes to consider her message. Walk the Walk
“Neo, sooner or later you’re going to realize just as I did – that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”
Everybody who has ever lived knows this is easier said than done. This motivational video helps bridge that gap.
Who do you have to be, what qualities must you have, to live this each and every day?
Watch this clip and discover for yourself… Walk the Talk
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Reflection on the Renwal Weekend by Gary Carlile: NOT DEFEATED
I am still soaring and reeling from this year’s Men’s Renewal. And, the hits just keep on coming!
Rev. Steve’s talk on the phoenix and its application to our lives ended with each of us receiving a token of the phoenix rising from its ashes. The reverse side was blank and we were asked to write our own “rising.” My first thought was something gushy and I immediately discarded it.
Reaching deeper, the words NOT DEFEATED came to the forefront of my thinking. Looking at the past two years of my life with Unity and the Men’s Fellowship and all that has been a part of my life, I realized the struggles I’ve been through has left me a bit stronger, wiser and more mellow. I was NOT DEFEATED.
After thanking Spirit for the gentle reminder I wrote the words and placed the token in the watch pocket of my jeans. There it stayed for the duration of the renewal and each time I felt it, I was reminded I was NOT DEFEATED.
When I got home Sunday and prepared for the task of laundry I removed the token and the words NOT DEFEATED were erased. I was a tad upset. I immediately started thinking of a way to permanently keep the words on the token.
In the midst of planning, that still small voice once again spoke to me.
“Yes, it said, you are NOT DEFEATED. You are also NOT something else and even better, you ARE something. Take the blank side and let each day’s meditation bring to your conscious awareness of what you no longer are and more importantly, what you are BECOMING. Inscribe that and carry it with you.”
I was excited again! I have a living token of what my life can and will BE. As each affirmation becomes reality, I anticipate it will fade and another will move to the fore for as long as I need it, to assist in evolving into the man I will be.
She was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She’s best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. She was respected as a spokesperson for black people and women, and her works have been considered a defense of Black culture. She’s Maya Angelou and here in video are her Top 10 Rules for Success, and her famous poem, Still I Rise.
1. Just do right!
She became a poet and writer after a series of occupations as a young adult, including fry cook, sex worker, and nightclub dancer. 2. Be courageous
She was an actor, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs. 3. Love
In 1982, she earned the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University. 4. Laugh
She was active in the Civil Rights movement and worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. 5. Be a blessing to somebody
Beginning in the 1990s, she made around 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. 6. Turn struggles into triumphs
With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelou publicly discussed aspects of her personal life. 7. You are talented
Attempts have been made to ban her books from some U.S. libraries, but her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide. 8. Learn to say no
She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing, and expanding the genre. 9. Always do your best
Her books center on themes such as racism, identity, family, and travel. 10. Keep rising
She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.
After his wife died, Rick Rigsby was ready to give up. The bare minimum was good enough. Rigsby was content to go through the motions, living out his life as a shell of himself. But then he remembered the lessons his father taught him years before – something insanely simple, yet incredibly profound.
These lessons weren’t in advanced mathematics or the secrets of the stock market. They were quite straightforward, in fact, for Rigsby’s father never made it through third grade. But if this uneducated man’s instructions were powerful enough to produce a Ph.D. and a judge – imagine what they can do for you.
Join Rigsby as he dusts off time-tested beliefs and finds brilliantly simple answers to modern society’s questions. In a magnificent testament to the “Greatest Generation” which gave so much and asked so little in return, Lessons from a Third Grade Dropout will challenge you while reigniting your passion to lead a truly fulfilling life.
After all, it’s never too late to learn a little bit more about life – just ask the third-grade dropout.
The intent of this page is not to be controversial or to make any claims as to what is fundamentally right or wrong. Rather, it is to merely raise the question about the future of religion in the context of the New Age movement beginning in the 1970’s and the rise of Spiritualism; the seeming move towards a One World Religion as exemplified by recent actions of Pope Francis; the leadership style of the Dalai Lama; the New Thought movement, and the idea of the rise (real or imagined) of a New World Order.
While quite heady to get one’s arms around, much less to comprehend, perhaps it is worth pausing to raise one’s own awareness and consider one’s belief system in the context of our changing world.
One of the most intriguing aspects the new religious scene in America is the pervasive mingling and mixing of different faiths and traditions. Never before in history have so many religious values and rituals coexisted within a single society. Much has been written about the cross-pollination of race, ethnicity and cultural values, but what happens when religions meet? Will the syncretism of the global village lead to some sort of universal religion, as some predict, or will it produce a vibrant mosaic of many different faiths? – Ninian Smart
One of the less controversial of countless videos on the topic of the One World Religion and New World Order.
https://youtu.be/AvBKut9iBcg
H.H. DALAI LAMA • Is there only one true religion?
Pope Francis has captivated the world with his kindness and progressive ideals. What specific actions has he taken that make him so popular?
Pope Francis – joins the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran church, and signs a joint declaration stating that the two traditions have more uniting them than dividing them.
The religious profile of the world is rapidly changing, driven primarily by differences in fertility rates and the size of youth populations among the world’s major religions, as well as by people switching faiths. Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion. If current trends continue, by 2050 …
The number of Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians around the world.
Atheists, agnostics and other people who do not affiliate with any religion – though increasing in countries such as the United States and France – will make up a declining share of the world’s total population.
The global Buddhist population will be about the same size it was in 2010, while the Hindu and Jewish populations will be larger than they are today.
In Europe, Muslims will make up 10% of the overall population.
India will retain a Hindu majority but also will have the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, surpassing Indonesia.
In the United States, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, and Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion. Muslims will be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion.
Four out of every 10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
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In his video talk, Facing Disappointment – Peter Amsterdam comments:
