Everyone has to face rejection at some point or another.
Recently I have faced quite a few rejections in a row, which could be
discouraging. They weren’t unexpected at all in the context of either limited
resources or a very small likelihood for success. Nevertheless, the first few
put me down rather badly. The last two or three were still gloomy but I
rebounded faster.
I talked to other people about my plans and told them that I
expected rejection. I was told that I
shouldn’t be negative, but the wisest person told me just to persevere. Interestingly
I feel that being more comfortable with rejection is not an indication of low
self-esteem or accepting defeat – quite the opposite actually. My attitude to
rejection is changing the more I believe that miracles are possible and that I
could leave my desires to the Universe to manifest. Rather than seeing rejections
as a barrier, I choose to see them as an opportunity for building self-confidence
and finding my path in life.
The word rejection doesn’t sit well with most people. I have
sometimes found that I’m almost afraid to read or contemplate the word for fear
that it would imprint itself on my mind and manifest in my reality. Yet pushing
the word below the surface doesn’t help. The things that come from our
subconscious mind that are less than nice to behold can best be healed by
calling them out from the shadows. When one takes a proper look at them, they
cease to be a threat. So rejection also asks us to confront it full on, without
fear. When seen in the light, its guise can easily change from a monster in various
hues of menace to an angel that beckons opportunity, illuminating the ways of
trust and faith as viable options.
When looking at it closely, rejection means that someone
doesn’t want us, they think we’re not good enough or they’re just not
interested in what we have to offer. Looking at all my past rejections it was
the defeat perhaps more than anything else that I had to overcome. The only way
to overcome the urge to give up is to get up from the dust and try again. When
I look at the rejections in themselves though I cannot think of any instance in
which I can truly say that what I wanted was better than what I eventually got.
Fair enough, I couldn’t pursue the paths where the doors closed for me. Yet my
resolve and self-belief were tested and I came out stronger on the other side,
rendering the closed doors a gift.
When one gets rejected the question to ask is whether one wants
to internalise the world’s standards as one’s own. The alternative is to be the
one to define the standards, believe in them and bring them into the world. You
might not convert everyone but you would convert a few. In the end the worst
thing you could do is play along with someone else’s game just to maintain
their approval. It would eventually become draining, if not disempowering.
In instances where one actually has to play the world’s
game, rejection could mean that you just aren’t good enough yet. In which case
you have the opportunity to persevere, improve and try again. If you lose interest
then it wasn’t the road for you and the right one would show itself if you keep
walking and maintain a positive attitude.
Rejection tests our self-belief. It entices us to ask the
questions of how we would like to define our success and how we want to be
loved. If the answer boils down to being ourselves then we return to the
treasure within and we know where to find our power.
Rejection doesn’t mean failure. The only failure would be to
cease trying. Where we apply our efforts with love, success is guaranteed. If I
had to measure my self-worth according to what others thought of me (positive
or negative) then I would have missed the point – success and acceptance would lose
their meaning.
In pursuit of our dreams the true magic happens when we
start trusting that the right things will come about in their own way and time.
Although we might not always understand what’s going on, our path will be paved
if we keep walking. There is nothing better we could do than be true to
ourselves and continue in pursuit of our heart’s desires. Rather than always
yearning for something better, we show our gratitude to the Universe by
accepting what we have, knowing it’s what is best for us. In this way we bring
more good things into our life. Surrendering to a will higher than our own is
the fastest way to transform limitations into opportunity.
