Rejection

Rejection isn't the nicest thing to get (especially on a Monday) nor the easiest one to accept and give. It's natural to question the act and the circumstances surrounding it. It's easy to feel pity for ourselves, and ask if the world is conspiring against us. Considering that we are generally good beings, and that we strive hard to better the current state that we are experiencing.

But any moment, relationship or opportunity has that side whether we like it or not. As cliche as it sounds, it is not always about us. We have to accept that it can be about external factors like time, other people, systems and structures. Sometimes, we just have to acknowledge the simple idea that it's just the way it is, for now.

Alejandro Tocornal

If we allow the negativity to swallow our spirit, we can potentially be telling the universe that we are not ready for a bigger step forward. Remember that we receive the energy that we give out to the world, therefore forging a path that we are ready for or is best for us at that given point in time.

However, one thing that I learned from the many rejections that I've had is that we should never suppress the terrible emotion we're having. It's normal and there's nothing wrong about it. False positivity can delay the recovery and affect our mental state. The earlier we face the emotion, the faster we can view it from a distance and get over it.

Rejection can also be a sign that we are being taught to wait, to check realities while stretching our patience, to have a longer chance to re-evaluate ourselves and grow. Setbacks are actually inevitable and essential to any growth. By falling, we learn.

I always hear this story about being saved by rejection. One version goes this way:

There's a guy who couldn't book a flight to a beautiful resort that he has been targeting all summer. Everyone in his office was able to do so with ease. Frustrated, he decided to just stay at home on the day when his colleagues would fly. He wanted to spend hours watching a decent TV show while having his favorite meal. A few hours on the couch, he switched to the news channel. To his surprise, a great storm hit the island, and everyone was forced to stay indoors because it was too dangerous to even go out.

Now the story isn't about celebrating other people's mischief, but more into looking at the idea that sometimes, we are put on hold because several opportunities that we think would improve our state can end up being the same as what we have now or worse than what we are already experiencing. 

Although rejection teaches us about patience and looking at ourselves from different angles, we must refrain from overly criticizing our individuality based on those areas of improvement. Instead, look after ourselves. A little self affirmation wouldn't hurt. Encouragement can lead to fine tuning strategies and mindset.

As Suzy Kassem once said "doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." So despite the pain and stress we're feeling because of rejection, we must never doubt ourselves nor change our truths. We must keep our eyes on the light while accepting criticisms. We must keep pushing harder towards our goals, while holding on to the idea of love, and remaining open to the possibilities that better opportunities are waiting for us. In an abstract, one closed door is a chance for a different one to open. 

​So cheer up, my dear warrior. Stay inspired, and later days!