Here we are, six months post break and I’m still working on my arm strength and mobility every day. It’s okay, don’t get me wrong, but as I started working on my webinar for July 26th (Let Go: Disappointment and Beyond) I realized that the topic might be timely for me in many ways.
I know it’s timely for many of you too. It’s a topic that comes up again and again in my conversations with you.
A breeding that doesn’t take. A litter that doesn’t have the puppy you hoped for.
A puppy that has a health or temperament concern that either washes it out of your chosen sport or means it needs to return to the breeder.
A dog who doesn’t learn with you the way you believe it might learn with a different handler.
Friends whose Social Media suggests they rachet from wild success to wild success with no blips on the journey.
Needing to retire, or euthanize, the perfect dog.
Having to cancel a show you were looking forward to.
Not meeting your desired outcomes at an event.
The list is long, and the possibilities are nearly endless.
The result is the same. The emotion of disappointment grabs your brain and you struggle to let go of it.
Why Letting Go Matters
Letting go of disappointment is critical to being able to move forward again. Disappointment is a HUGE block and it can quickly become insurmountable. Getting stuck in disappointment has negative impacts on your mental and physical well-being. And, to be frank, that sucks.
People react to the same thing with different degrees of disappointment but a study has shown people who are disappointed make decisions differently than when they are feeling resilient and optimistic.
Research suggests that depression and disappointment have similar impacts on the neurology of the brain. Serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins all decrease in the moments after we realize a disappointment. We can physically feel the pain of that moment, with a headache, muscle tension or other body response.
The Challenge of Letting Go
The tricky thing about disappointment is that letting go requires conscious thought and effort. Not what any of us want to hear, but it’s the truth. This blog could turn into a master’s paper if we explored the reality of doing this, but it’s an essential step.
Luckily I have just pulled a webinar together that systematically walks through the options for moving beyond disappointment. It’s airing live on July 26th but the recording will still be available if you stumble across this blog after it airs, so give it a listen.
An additional little perk – it’s summer, it’s hot, and we all need a break! So I’ve priced this webinar at half the usual cost (that means it’s only $10!) because; because I want to get the information and tools into the hands and minds of the people who need it most.
The people who might have large vet bills, feel like they’ve “wasted” money on training or tools, need to save for Next Dog.
If you’ve taken a class or webinar with me before you know this is packed full of stories, examples and actionable tools you can leave the webinar and put into practice immediately. I’m already looking forward to the questions and conversation we’ll have – always one of my favourite parts of presenting!
Sign up for it here! and please, don’t be shy about sharing this blog, or the webinar, with people you know it will help!!
You may also like:
How to Recover When Things Go Wrong at a Show or Trial
How to Cope When Life Doesn’t Seem Fair
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