“Rejection is not fatal; it is merely someone’s opinion.” -Tiny Buddha
Occasionally, we find something that we love to do. We get excited and think, “maybe that’s my purpose!”
Sometimes we think we know just what we need to do to get there. We look at what other people are doing who have similar interests. We decide that it’s a good idea to take the common path because it will lead us where we want to go. But what happens when that door doesn’t want to open for you?
We must understand that they are multiple paths to take, not just one. Not all roads lead us in the right direction. We must be flexible. We must find a way to work around the obstacles and still make our dreams come true, no matter the barriers we face. The biggest barrier of all in my opinion? Rejection.
Rejection isn’t necessarily a ‘no.’ It’s more like: ‘if you REALLY want to do this, try another way, this option isn’t good for you at this time.’
Does that mean you have to drop your passions, dreams, or goals? No, you have to find a different way to achieve them.
Rejection can be your best friend if you let it. You can learn from it and let it guide you. All you must do is trust the lessons.
When I started my blog, I wanted to write to teach people how they can adopt the positivity mindset. I thought that life was hard enough, why not offer some positive insight that I received and learned along the way from my own journey.
I started my blog at the end of 2015. But I didn’t begin working on it seriously until 2017. At the time I was a teacher, and I quickly found out that teaching wasn’t for me. But I still had an entire year to finish the school year, so I turned to my writing even more so than ever before to express myself (and not lose my mind in the overwhelming teaching world).
It not only ended up as a creative outlet for myself, but I had started a habit that molded me into who I am today. It shaped me into being a better writer for my readers. To write more on topics that could help them. It led me in an unknown direction. One that seemed to flow so naturally, that I went with it.
When I started taking my website and my work more seriously, I decided that perhaps it would be best to go to graduate school to learn how to become a better writer, “that will put me in the right direction,” I thought. So I worked at a job that I knew wasn’t for me but could pay the bills. I concentrated on working on my website and my writing. I waited to hear back from graduate school because I thought that was the next chapter in my life.
For me, going to grad school was a way to dive deeper into my writing; to learn how to be better and to find my voice finally. Even more, I was excited! I had applied to schools abroad for some different scenery and a change in culture. I was ecstatic not only to learn more about something I love to do but to also combine it with my other passion: traveling.
Well after so many months of waiting, finally I heard back.
“Thank you for applying, but…”
There’s that dreaded word. But.
However, at that very moment, I realized something important. I don’t need graduate school to learn how to become a better writer. I learn how to write better every single day when I put it into practice.
So luckily for me, I didn’t need a Master’s Degree to be able to be a successful writer, I just thought it would have more helpful for me as a writer. Plus, every good writer goes to graduate school, right?
Nope! Maya Angelou didn’t attend college nor did Mark Twain. Charles Dickens dropped out of school at 12 to help support his family and didn’t return to school until much later. But they all have another thing in common; they always took the time to write.
So here are the three things I took away from this rejection:
1. It’s not the end of the world: It would have been a fantastic adventure and a fresh opportunity, but it’s okay. It’s not the worst news in the world, and honestly, there are gazillions of other things that I can do. I’m not going to bother dwelling on this because there’s nothing to do about it nor is it meant to be.
2. I still have my writing: At the end of the day, I love to write and I have the ability to do it. It doesn’t matter for who or what, but I enjoy it immensely. What’s even better is that I have platforms where I can write, including my website; which I started from scratch! Not only that, but I also have people coming to my site all the time to read the material and benefitting from it. I’m thankful that I can do something I love AND help others at the same time. That is, after all, the dream.
3. That door didn’t open because I have better ones coming my way: Looking back to all the things I wanted in my life but didn’t receive- ended up being more of a blessing than anything else. It brought in the new, unpredictable, and pleasant surprises. I never bothered looking back on the ‘what if’s’ because it was simply a waste of time. My life was turning out even better than I expected, with or without the wins, the lessons were always there, and I’m grateful for them all. I know from prior experience that better things are on the way. More significant opportunities will arrive at my doorstep, and I’ll be ready as ever for them. But until then, I will keep my head up and do what I always do; write.
So, go for your passions! Make sure you find more than one path to get there- because, more often than not, that is what will happen, you’re given a new route to take to get there. If the piece doesn’t fit properly, then find another piece and try again. Just don’t ever lose track of your overall goal. Eventually, you’ll get the perfect piece, and your life will be your masterpiece.
It isn’t so much about which doors opened or closed; it’s about your willingness to persevere through any obstacle to get to where you want to be. Always remember why you started in the first place and you will mold your path. Be flexible in what comes your way and remember that rejection can be more of a blessing than a curse.
One day, you’ll step back to look at your life and see how those pieces worked so perfectly together to give you the masterpiece you’ve dreamed of. Don’t get frustrated by the pieces, obstacles, and the failures, just keep trying and don’t stop moving forward.
It’s not about the destination; it’s all about the journey. Do you have what it takes?