From Rejection To Redirection

A lot of people have experienced one form of rejection or the other in their life; it can be a missed job, failed relationship, desire not met, or even a personal disappointment. Rejection can actually feel saddening, painful, and discouraging. Sometimes it may even make you to question your worth, your ability, and even your future. But what many people fail to understand is that rejection is not meant to stop you, rather it may just be a way to redirect you. Instead of seeing the rejection from a negative point of view, it will be better to see beyond it, and look at what the situation is trying to point out to you.

You have to understand that being rejected does not mean that life is over for you, neither is it the end of the road for you. It might just be a turning point in your life. It can also be a way that life wants to redirect you towards something better, something suitable, or something that will align with your purpose. So instead of seeing rejection as failure, you have to change your perception and rather see it as a direction and feedback from life. There are things that you may not even know is possible until your mind gets redirected from where you are hoping for.

While I was in school some years back, we had our student week, and people were nominated to present keynote addresses, but I was not nominated. When I asked the chief organising secretary, she told me that they needed someone with an experience in public speaking. Well, I welcomed the feedback and I started working on my communication skills. I got good at it, and even joined a public speaking group. By the end of the academic year, the school held its annual "gala night" which was a far bigger event. And I was picked from that group to anchor the event. The earlier rejection was what positioned me for something greater.

More often than not, when one door looks like it has closed, it will force you to look for another door. And sometimes, that door would not have been the best for you, and may have limited you. Trust me, it might not feel like it at the moment, but you have to understand that not every opportunity that you see is the right opportunity for you. As difficult as it may seem to believe, there are some rejections that are actually protecting you from certain situations, people, or environment that may lead to something negative. And some doors can actually limit you if you go through that path. So you see, where you were rejected can actually open you up for something better and greater.

Turning rejection into redirection will start with a realignment of your mindset. For example, when something happens, instead of asking "why me?" You can simply ask yourself "what next?" This will shift your focus from what has happened into what you can make of what has happened. By doing that, you are focusing more on possibilities and not on the problem. Every rejection that a lot of people face carries at least a lesson to learn. It might be a lesson about their preparation, about their approach and methods, or maybe lessons about directions. So look beyond what has happened and also considered the lessons in it. Life may not turn out the way you like or the way you want it to be, but the truth remains that it will definitely come with a lot of lessons to learn.

Rejection also has a way of building resilience and perseverance in people. Each time you face rejection and you make a choice of moving forward, you become stronger and better. It also forces you to upgrade your skills, refine your plans, and makes you better prepared for the next opportunity that will come. There are some people that, without rejection, they will become too comfortable where they are, and will not make any move to become better. So to them, the rejection becomes a powerful motivator to take up actions and take the risk that they need to.

Thanks for reading