I’ve been thinking a lot about disappointment and why it happens. When we expect one thing and find something else, we can feel let down. This highlights two things: a focus on ourselves and the idea that everything relates to us and our attachment to an outcome. Everyone is responsible for their own choices, and I have learned that very little is actually about me (recall the 97 percent rule, which argues that if someone reacts in an emotional or super hot way toward you, 97 percent of it is about them; you take responsibility for your 3 percent—nothing more) and attachment leads to suffering. As Stephen Covey writes, “Be patient with yourself.” Reimagine what you understood to be disappointing.
Canoe Lake (1999) by Peter Doig is one of my favorite paintings of all time. The isolated figure in nature is a repeating theme for Doig, and why the figures find themselves where they do often varies. One of the things I love about this painting is the monochromatic black area at the bottom—the work is inspired by the slasher film Friday the 13th, yet alludes to our psyche.
