On Disappointment.

We've all felt it at one time or another. Maybe someone let us down, or maybe we let ourselves down. Today, my major disappointment was finding out that I didn't place in the photography contest that I entered at school. I'm not trying to sound conceited, so I hope it doesn't come across that way, but I was just really hoping that I might get one of the five places. I don't know about you, but when I get disappointed like that, I'm always the first person that I start beating up on. I was asking myself things like, "Why did I even bother entering? If I'm so bad at photography, why did I get that nice, expensive camera? Why am I so pathetic?" and so it goes.
Just when I really started fuming about this, angry partly at myself and partly at the judges, there was that little prick at my heart. It was God, teaching me one of those lessons again. Telling me that this wasn't worth beating myself up over. Telling me that cliche phrase that everyone says but few people really integrate into their life: everything happens for a reason. I should learn to grow from my disappointments. We all should. Sometimes God sets things in our path that aren't going to go our way, and it's not just for His amusement. There are a number of things that we can learn from every kind of disappointment:
1. People are imperfect and so it is inevitable that they will disappoint you at one time or another. God is the only one that you can completely rely on to never let you down. There is no person that can completely fulfill your need for contentment, support and love.
2. When you let yourself down, that is a lesson that you in your own power can never be the person that you need to be. You can't rely completely on yourself to do everything right. It can be a hard lesson to learn, but you alone are not enough to steer your life in the right direction.
3. Finally, this is what I learned from my own personal disappointment: being a good photographer does not just come naturally. Even the best photographers have gotten to where they are because they have practiced continually to improve their skills. If I keep on practicing, taking picture after picture until I learn how to use my camera and unique perspectives to take pictures that i am completely happy with, I might win the next contest that comes along. Until then, the only thing to do is work at bettering myself rather than wallowing in self-pity about something that is in my power to change.

Ok, this has been a different type of post for me. I hope it wasn't too rambly or too preachy, the topic is just something that has really been weighing on my heart lately and I wanted to share it with you guys.
♥♥Kristin