Rejection is integral to our personal growth. It hurts, doesn’t it? It is essential to remember that rejection is merely a redirection, a course correction to your destiny. We are capable of achieving greater things in life as long as we see this rejection as a blessing, rather than a curse setting us up for failure.
In my professional life, I have been rejected more than twice that I could remember, and I am currently in my gap year as well, feeling scared and uncertain about what the future holds for me. It is normal to feel disappointed at first, but I encourage you to take a step back, and realise the way we react to this will determine our next step. Once a door closes, another one opens. To be able to look at rejection differently and more positively, you must appreciate your efforts, embrace every possibility and success will follow.
I’ve always wondered, “what is wrong with me? Will I ever be good enough? I wish people gave me a chance”. We might begin pulling ourselves apart with self-criticism. However, rejection also has a way of teaching us, that these things were all happening for a reason, and they were all perfectly timed.
Initially when I was 18, I got rejected twice with my law apprenticeship applications, and got offered one months later. However, as I was turning 19, my immigration status and right to work stopped me from starting this apprenticeship, and I was redirected to a fixed term post at a law firm that taught me better than the apprenticeship would. Now that they’ve withdrawn this apprenticeship from me (which was deferred until this year), I applied for multiple jobs and got rejected but I got offered another last week.
With my recent experiences, it felt like a Eureka moment! I realised that growth can be uncomfortable. For this to happen, I have actively learnt on how to make and embrace new changes. I forgave myself for being too hard on myself, and I found myself thanking all of the people, places, and things that rejected me. They just made sense! They led me on a process to being the person I am today, a young immigrant woman with much more strength, resilience and so much love to offer to the world.
I have to admit though that this process doesn’t just happen overnight. I am still working on it. However, the lifelong effects of this will allow me to slowly begin searching for the blessing in disguise. I know, it sounds easier said than done, but treating myself with compassion, not letting rejections define me, and finding the lesson in heartbreak allowed me to utilise my strengths and transfer my past experiences into something much bigger and better that the future has in store for me. I believe that with the right passion and determination, we are able to reach new heights everywhere as long as we believe in ourselves. I will continue to do that, and I hope you do too.
I am proud of you, and please trust the process. Six months from now, you can be in an entirely different place — emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually and it’ll be all worth it.
