The fi rst fl ush of soulful sadness is sometimes ushered in by disappointment. As anyone living on the planet for more than fi ve minutes knows, things don’t always go according to plan. Despite all our effort, skills and resources, sometimes things just don’t work out the way we hoped. Even when events do unfold exactly as we planned, our anticipated feeling of fulfi lment may simply be a sorry whimper after a very little bang. This can happen when a long-planned holiday doesn’t quite deliver the relaxation, renewal and sheer pleasure we anticipated it would. Or when we do not get the job we applied for, or when our attempts to mend a relationship are unsuccessful.

The fi rst fl ush of soulful sadness is sometimes ushered in by disappointment. As anyone living on the planet for more than fi ve minutes knows, things don’t always go according to plan. Despite all our effort, skills and resources, sometimes things just don’t work out the way we hoped. Even when events do unfold exactly as we planned, our anticipated feeling of fulfi lment may simply be a sorry whimper after a very little bang. This can happen when a long-planned holiday doesn’t quite deliver the relaxation, renewal and sheer pleasure we anticipated it would. Or when we do not get the job we applied for, or when our attempts to mend a relationship are unsuccessful.