The Fear of Rejection is Holding You Back!

Was there a time in your life when people's opinions and perceptions of you did not matter? Were you very authentic? Did you second-guess each interaction you made?

During my childhood, I was very competitive and always willing to take a risk in anything I participated in. I was never shy and I had to be around people 24/7. In the early stages of my mental health battle which was late middle school and early high school, I still had a competitive, fearless nature about me. No matter how I felt about myself for what I was going through, I always came off as a resilient person. But as time progressed and my anxiety and depression developed, I would let a few failures, even the smallest take a toll on my life. The less comfortable I was in my skin, which was a gradual progression over the years, actually drained me of my energe. The more isolated I became, the fewer opportunities I would take. I would consider this a moment of self-sabotage.

The world was not against me. I was the one handing myself the short end of the stick. I will not dwell too hard on this aspect of the past because I can only live in the moment and stay in the present. I am writing this post for not only my personal use of self-reflection but also for you, in case you feel like you haven't been living up to your full potential. I still have such a long way to go, however, I am so thankful to come to this realization to grow moving forward.

Did you turn down opportunities to meet new people out of fear that you would come off “weird” or they just simply wouldn’t like you? Did you decide not to enter a competition because you didn’t want to be reminded of what losing felt like? Reflect for a moment on those questions. I had to get to the root of this problem. I knew that there was a reason I was behaving that way. After a few sour experiences in life in which I was rejected by/for something, I took it very personally. I have always been what some may call “sensitive.” That was just me and the way I was wired. I will always have a soft side, but I am firm in my self-worth and I am mature enough to realize that I need to learn how to fail before I can win anything.

I think that my fellow “perfectionists” can relate to this blog post. We might have grown up in school or home environments in which the idea of failure or making a mistake was such a crime. Next time you get rejected for a job promotion, love interest, an attempt at friendship, etc., remember that you are exactly where you need to be. When you walk into a situation as confident as ever, you will grow more than you can even imagine.

I challenge you to be a fearless risk-taker. No matter the possible outcome, give everything your all. Live in the present moment and be open-minded to other opportunities. I genuinely believe in the cliché that everything happens for a reason. Maybe those moments of rejection are just God and the universe redirecting you.