We all have our low points. We believe we’re going to land that job, promotion, date, or even that award we didn’t even know we wanted until it was dangled in front of us. Then, we get the dreaded email, text, or call…
“Sorry, we don’t think it’s a good fit”
“You were great but I’m not looking for anything serious at the moment”
“We loved your application but we received X amount of applications and hope you’ll consider applying again next year!”
Fit is important… especially when it comes to team culture, experience, and preferences.
If you don’t want anything serious but I do, you’re right! What’s the point in wasting each other’s time? *send lols when you’re not in fact, laughing out loud…*
Is telling me how many people applied supposed to make me feel better?! No, thank YOU for trying but it still fucking stings…. *delete delete delete* Thank you so much for considering me! I’m sure you had a lot of great applications and I will definitely try again next year! Best! *slams laptop shut*
Even though you know it wasn’t meant to be, it still hurts. No, actually, it’s disappointing. I am disappointed! Disappointed in myself for allowing myself to get excited about something that didn’t end up happening…
At this point, you lay to rest all the enthusiasm, hope, and daydreams you foolishly concocted. Sitting there, expecting yourself to move on as if nothing happened. But it did…
No matter how many times it happens, rejection hurts.
Sure, listening to affirmations and having your friends tell you how great you are feels good for a bit but how does one’s ego handle the emotional rollercoaster?! *screams into a pillow and hope your neighbor doesn’t call the cops because the only thing being murdered are your hopes and dreams*
Confidence is a fickle thing. It is the summation of experience and practice, repeated over time. What they left out of this stupid formula is the amount of failure accumlated… Not to mention the self-rejection every time you practice and missed the mark…
Rejection is a natural part of life (yes, even that annoying gorgeous person you know who seems to get everything they want. They feel rejected too… yeah, yeah, I’m sure they do!) We’re supposed to bounce back and let the sting of it all roll off our backs like raindrops on an umbrella top.
Only when it comes to emotions, how does one let it not affect us so much without becoming bitter, jaded, and conditioned to not try anymore, just to avoid the pain?
It’s easy to say, you just gotta do it! You gotta be like Elsa and let it go! (Let me remind you, she created a castle of isolation so don’t tell me I’m being dramatic!!)
Rejection hurts AF, point-blank. It’s a sharp pain. A slash through the heart sometimes. But like most cuts, it heals over time if you take care of it.
What’s an internal blow, killing you from the inside out, is giving up.
Giving up on your dreams because you’re just so tired of trying. Letting go of the excitement, and hunger for more because you’re too afraid to feel hurt again. Before you know it, you’re stuck at the point you gave up, wondering what happened and how did you get here.
Pointing on a front, telling yourself you didn’t really want it anyway, protects our fragile egos. Denial, anger, or even apathy helps you cope within the moment, but over time, the emotional wall becomes a cage, boxing you in and keeping even the best parts of life out.
The more you hold yourself back, from taking chances and ultimately feeling something, you miss out on great opportunities. Opportunities you may not have expected. Meeting someone on a date, who then becomes a great friend. Learning someone you thought never noticed you much was the one who nominated you for the award because they really admired your work ethic. Or even learning that the opportunity didn’t work out, the one you thought was so perfect, because a better one is coming your way. You just have to be open to it.
We can all agree, rejection hurts. But don’t let the fear of life prevent you from living yours.
Be kind to yourself,
MTL
