I Had A Week Full Of Rejections, And Here Is What I Learned

Rejection is a beetle’s sting, one that grips every crevice of your being, and you cannot do anything but squirm in the pain until it subsides. Let me tell you, it's not fun to give it your all and find yourself in a space of nothingness, where nothing works out and everything either gets delayed, slowed down, rejected, or postponed. The slowness of time feels like a second takes a century to pass; you feel like a fool for trying too hard, for giving your all, and yet receiving nothing in return.

Life seems like a game that is fixed, one that bets on you losing constantly. You have no idea where the cyclone of the tide or the uncertain waters are taking you; all you can do is move with its ebb and flow and keep going. There is no way you can get through it without going through it.

Healing through rejection

​I had a week full of rejections where I felt like nothing was working out, everything felt like life was slipping through the crevices of my hands, and all I could do to keep myself sane was hold close to my cup of coffee, keep my earphones intact, and let life make its course on its own.

Sometimes you don't need to fix anything; you just need to sit with yourself and listen to your heart. In the stillness of spaces, in the silence of the being, you realise what it is really trying to tell you. After a challenging week, here is what I learnt from my journey so far:

• Your worth is not dependent on external factors.

You do not lose yourself when you get rejected or your work faces criticism. There is no way life would work out in the goodness of joy and acceptance all the time. There will be times when you will face backlash or things turn out not in your favour, and during these times, it is even more essential to be kinder to yourself.

• You are not a loser for feeling sorrow or needing time to be alone.

If it hurts, your pain is valid, and no one has a right to tell you otherwise. It is okay if you want to disappear for a while until you feel like you again. Take your time, slow down, rest, do the things that make you feel happy, and learn to accept that everything works out with time.

• There will be times and seasons where you are doing everything right and yet nothing is working out in your favour.

It does not mean you are cursed or being punished; it simply is the ebb and flow of life. Life needs both light and darkness to build its most beautiful essence. In these times, learn to take it one step at a time.

• As much as you want to control the circumstances of life, you want the outcomes in a certain light, or you want to let people perceive you in a certain way, it is not in your control.

The way things turn out or the way people perceive you or your work is not in your control. That does not mean you should stop putting yourself out there or stop creating your art; it simply means detaching yourself from the outcomes or the opinions of others.

Someone does not like you, oh, they criticised your work, or they taunted you about something you do, that does not lower your worth or make your work less beautiful. The only person who decides your worth is you.

• There are times when you would need people and their reassurance the most, but these would also be the times when nobody would be there for you.

It does not mean that they are trying to avoid you or that you are wrong for wanting a humane connection. It simply means that we are all going through tough times, and there is misalignment in the availability in each other's lives. You need to be there for yourself. Tell yourself the words you need to hear, hug yourself, take yourself on a date. Do anything that makes you feel like you again.

• Even on your worst days, you are so worthy of love, and you deserve to be loved for who you are at your core.

Not when you perform well, not when you achieve something substantial, not when you please everyone and are available for everyone. You are lovable just the way you are.

There is beauty in knowing there is still hope left for you, and although times are difficult, I promise you will get through it. Let today be as messy as it can be. Let the light find you through the tears that no one can see. I hope you know that you have not lived the most beautiful days yet, where your heart leaps with joy and your deepest dreams soar, may all you do, you hold love for yourself at your core.

Authored by Hridya Sharma. Views expressed are the author's own.