Chapter 1: Understanding Rejection

How often have you faced the sting of “no” in your life? The feelings that accompany rejection can be quite disheartening. Recently, I experienced the disappointment of having my article rejected for reasons that were valid. This is a common occurrence for writers, and while my mind accepted this reality with grace, my ego struggled to cope. It began to spiral, offering me negative thoughts such as, “This is truly humiliating,” “Perhaps you should pause your writing,” and “Maybe writing isn’t for you.”

Instead of stepping away from writing altogether, I chose to step back from my ego's chatter. I redirected my focus to these questions:

• “What can I learn from this experience?”
• “How can I improve moving forward?”

According to Good Therapy, rejection can evoke feelings of shame, sadness, or grief when we face lack of acceptance from others. It can manifest in various scenarios:

• A writer is turned down by a publication.
• A person faces rejection from someone they love.
• A child is left out by peers.
• Family members may not accept a person.

Rejection is an inevitable aspect of life. The key is to understand what we can take away from such experiences and how we interpret them.

Now, returning to my earlier questions: “What can I learn from this experience?”

Rejection is a significant part of emotional growth. It helps to humble my ego and reminds me that I am not infallible. Furthermore, it enhances my appreciation for acceptance. Experiencing both acceptance and rejection is integral to life’s journey, and I aim to welcome both sides with an open heart.

Chapter 2: Turning Lessons into Growth

“What steps can I take for my improvement?”

This experience has taught me the value of patience. There is no need to rush through writing; taking days to develop an idea is perfectly acceptable. As I embark on my next piece, I will be more discerning about topic selection, considering the potential impact of my work once published.

Rejection? No problem! Let’s indulge in a big bowl of ice cream and keep moving forward, my friend! :-)

In this TED talk, Jia Jiang shares his journey of overcoming rejection through 100 days of facing 'no.' His insights reveal how to embrace rejection as a pathway to personal growth.

Jia Jiang delivers a powerful talk at TEDxAustin about surprising lessons learned from his 100-day rejection challenge, emphasizing resilience and self-acceptance.

Thank you for reading! For more insights, check out:

• This Book Changed Me
• 3 Reasons Why A Friend Ghosted You

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