Lessons from rejection and how to move ahead
I am sure this is not the first time an individual has blocked me. What I found hurtful was seeing this individual do it. How do I know? Well, my text went from blue to green. IYKYK.
I know that I am not always someone's cup of tea. I have learned that the opinions of others do not matter in my life. What I think of me is all that matters. Or at least I am working on knowing this and living by it.
If you are asking yourself, what happened? What did I say or do? You and I will continue to wonder.
I was hurt by this when it happened. I was in the dumps with my mind raising and allowing my brain to find all the ways I have failed, been wrong, imperfect, made terrible choices, and how I was a horrible, unloveable person full of flaws and unable to make a difference in the lives of others.
I questioned why I continued to do this and contemplated applying for a job that required me to work from a deep dark cave where I could not hurt others, piss them off, or where I could also hide my shame and my terrible deeds that led to someone being so hurt or angry that it was easier to press the block button than it was to speak candidly and openly.
Was this individual wrong for doing what they did? No, they were not. In fact, they had every right to set a boundary that they felt was necessary. Understanding and accepting this is a crucial part of our growth.
I spent most of the remainder of my day sad and wallowing in self-pity mud. Dan asked what was wrong—he knows me so well—but I said nothing because I could not talk about it. I was not ready to unpack it and needed to process what happened and how I felt.
I went to bed with a heavy heart and decided that perhaps I was overthinking. I decided to write about it. I was feeling anxious, so I took time to meditate. This event stressed me, so I walked around my house until I felt tired. When it was all said and done, I was finally exhausted from the day and went to bed. I also let myself sleep much later than I usually do.
When I woke up the next day, the remnants of my feelings from what had happened were present. However, I did what I would encourage my clients to do: turn the page and work your business.
Working in my business does not mean sweeping this circumstance under the rug. It has allowed me to avoid the downward spiral that can derail us from our work, our goals, our dreams, and our vision for our lives.
I continued to remind myself that people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Like in the Camino de Santiago, sometimes our paths need to diverge from other people's paths. Sometimes, you must be okay with not asking what happened or why. Sometimes, you need to be like Elsa...and let it go... (I love that saying)
If you have made it this far, I want to remind you that you and I are not perfect. You are a flawed individual, but by no means do you need to take responsibility for HOW OTHERS FEEL. You can choose to do it and be better. You can control your thoughts and the feelings your thoughts cause you. You can control the actions you take moving forward.
The action I take today is, as always, to GO CONFIDENTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF MY DREAMS.
Julie
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