REJECTION - A Source of Indestructible Strength?

In 2009, a major Rejection gifted me one of my Superpowers!

SHATTERED

The job was mine. I had aced the audition. They had laughed at every joke and cried at every story. From the Executive Producers to the Crew, every single person was stunned by my performance...frozen in awe! The question "who is she?" in fleeting murmurs, hovered around the studio. The job was mine and I knew it! My agent was elated. We had this in the bag!

I was numb. Confidence shattered. Ego bruised. Focus blurred. Submerged under a sea of despair. Was this happening to me?

Two days later, the email came. The chime on my phone announcing its arrival sent sparks of excitement and elation up my spine…..knees bent mid air on my mark, waiting to jump up for joy...thoughts of taking over the world one cosmopolitan city after another, filling my head!

I opened the email, whisked past the pleasantries and then, everything stopped. I could feel my heart pounding in my ear canal. There they were...a collective of the most debilitating words…with rampant succession…"Regret to inform you that"..."decided to go with another talent”..."not at this time"...

I was numb. Confidence shattered. Ego bruised. Focus blurred. Submerged under a sea of despair. All at the same time. I was losing myself. I sat. Shoulders caving in under the unbearable weight of the bad news. And gradually, I succumbed to spasms of misery!

My agent explained that even though they had loved my performance, the Execs were concerned that since my baby was only a month old, the gruelling filming hours and intense travel could present some challenges. In short, they couldn't see my personal situation fitting into their professional dynamics (more on this matter and how I dealt with it later).

PICKING UP THE PIECES

Three days...that's how long I grieved for. On the fourth day, I forced myself up and picked up my journal. I needed a new plan. I started to feel the sense of deep sorrow dissipate. Funny enough, my anger towards their reasoning, was not as grave as the disappointment I felt towards how I had let that happen! You see, I was blindsided...unprepared...too focused on winning that I never stopped to consider what I would do or how I would handle my emotions if the opportunity, for whatever reason, didn't come my way. I had exposed myself to the inequities of Rejection and it had almost ruined me.

As I started to acknowledge the gaping hole in my strategy, only then did I begin to discover something very crucial to my professional survival!

EVOLUTION

Focus is one of the strongest traits you could ever have….but on its own, it has its downsides. Sharp Focus occurs when you’re fixated on your abilities and capabilities – A Mind Game.?

The world as we know it is hugely competitive and unpredictable, such that to be able to manoeuvre life’s twists and turns successfully, you need Focus. For the most part, you are always making sure you are ahead of the curve (Covid - 19 NOT included!). Your strategy is expertly outlined, and you know it to the core. You know where you’re going and you believe in yourself. On its own, however, Focus is brittle. Under the sudden weight of unforeseen circumstances, it can break. Rejection can break your Focus.

Then there is Courage – a source of strength. In stressful situations, Courage allows you to discern, adjust and provides some emotional protection – A Heart Game. Courage on its own however, can be delicate. It can evaporate very easily when left exposed to the heat of life's many disappointments. Rejection can vaporise your Courage.

If you have the heart to accept failure and the mind to try again, you’re indestructible.

MY SUPERPOWER

Overtime, I have devised a method to survive and thrive! I align my Mind and my Heart….Focus and Courage. A system that involves an intentional simultaneous function of both traits. As my Mind develops the plan and ways to stick to it, my Heart creates a safety net for that plan. If anything falls or fails, my Focus remains intact...it doesn't break because the safety net, my Courage, will catch it and fuel my desire to try again.

I learnt that if you have the heart to accept failure and the mind to try again, you’re indestructible.

TRUTH & ACCEPTANCE

I allowed myself to go through the motions of shock, disbelief, anger, sadness and loss. I needed time to acknowledge how I felt. In those dark moments, I also noticed that Rejection was giving me reason question myself. I didn’t shy away from it. The experience was bringing me into whole new phase of self – awareness…a rite of passage if you will. I embraced it.

Life and the situations that comprise its cycle are almost always out of our control. The only solid armour we have against the uncertainties in our environment, is how we deal with them. Rejection is one of those uncertainties and that's just how it is.

On your path from purpose to prosperity, you are bound to have a hefty serving of Rejection. Don't bury it! Embrace it! Understand it! Use it!

Today, Rejection of any form, gives me good reason to pause, revaluate and in some instances, redesign my strategy. I don't dismiss it. I don't let it bully me into self doubt. I use it as a basis for reimagining and relearning. At the same time, I also acknowledge that timing and purpose aren't always aligned and that's ok!

On your path from purpose to prosperity you are bound to have a hefty serving of Rejection. Don't abandon it. Embrace it! Understand it! Use it!?

Let it be a source of Power, because in my opinion, when you're not threatened by Rejection, you see it as one of the most valuable of all the secret weapons in your battle for Success!

By the way...how have you dealt with Rejection?

Drop your experience(s) in the comments section. Let's Talk. You can also have a conversation with me.

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Special Thanks :

Photo Credit : Focus by Mark Hunter A photo of Neils specs magnifying the word focus in a dictionary

Photo Credit : Courage by jridgewayphotography

Photo Credit : Shattered by Bill Burris