I’ve been rejected. The relationship mattered so much to me; I often went the extra mile, regularly showed genuine care in tangible ways, and listened intentionally to deepen our connection. Told my efforts weren’t good enough, I felt useless and discarded—like a brown banana peel.
How do you deal with rejection? How do you handle the brutality, the jarring hurt, the tsunami of emotion?
I reacted with shock, disbelief, and denial. “How can this be? Surely there must be some mistake or misunderstanding. This can’t be the end.” Then I became offended and angry. “How dare they blame me!” I pinpointed all the wrong on their part and cast myself as the victim. Within hours, I moved to the muck and mire of doubt and despair.
My thoughts became focused on me alone—my weaknesses, my inadequacies, my failures. I questioned God’s call on my life and doubted my ability to do what he asked of me. I felt like giving up, abandoning everything, and withdrawing from all other relationships to spare everyone the trouble of having to deal with such a failure as me.
It sounds melodramatic, but it was my first real rejection as a freelance writer. My client thought my style and skill set weren’t a good fit for them anymore.
It happens. Rejection is a normal part of the life of a writer.
Rejection is a normal part of most people’s lives at some point. Whether the rejection is related to a job, family, friendships, or any other type, it hurts.
Perplexed about how to deal with my rejection, I turned to Someone I know who’s been there.
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