After a disappointment, an unmet expectation, a loss, or a failure, I have many different reactions all at once. There’s the mental playback, the self-blame, the outward anger. Perhaps excited energy to try again. And sometimes lethargic desires to eat ice cream under a warm blanket on a cozy sofa.
Gratitude is almost always absent. It doesn’t show up unasked like all the other reactions.
And that’s really too bad. Because it’s the best possible way to absorb the poison, grow, re-focus perspective, and move forward.