IWSG: Rejected or Redirected?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a community of writers whose purpose is to share with and encourage other writers. Writers can express doubts and concerns and offer & receive encouragement and guidance.  IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month.  Be sure to check out other IWSG writers/bloggers here:  IWSG Members

IWSG:  Rejected or Redirected?

At one time or another in our life journey, we all experience rejection.  Rejection hurts.  As a child on the playground at school, a young adult seeking that elusive first job or date, a writer getting yet another rejection letter.  Rejection hurts. Why don't they like me?  Why didn't I get the job?  Why isn't my book good enough? Rejection hurts, and it often leads to self-doubt. 

In the past, I've been guilty of letting rejection eat away at my self-esteem and bring on periods of self-doubt. (yes, I may have wallowed in it a time or two!)  While it's normal to seek acceptance in all we do and to be hurt if we fail to receive it, it's only a tragedy if we let it derail us from our journey.  Rejected doesn't mean failure.  It doesn't mean you're less than someone else. It doesn't mean you're unlovable.  It doesn't mean your book doesn't have potential.  It only means that for that particular moment in time, you did not have what that peer, employer, or publisher was looking for.  Find the right person, situation, and/or path and redirect yourself.

Have you ever been rejected only to have something better come along - something you would have missed had you not been previously rejected?  Take rejections and redirect them into positives...into something better for you.  Received another rejection slip? Take another look at your book or article...can you make it better?  Tighten it up?  Edit it one more time? (gasp!) Have you submitted it to an agent/publisher who is the right fit for you & the material you write? Always keep your eyes open for possibilities. 

Remember that being rejected doesn't mean you should give up your dreams.  It means it's time for you to reassess your situation and decide your next course of action.  Turn being Rejected into being Redirected!  See what happens.  Being refused entry into one door may afford you the opportunity you need to grab the keys that will open doors you only dreamed of before. Rejection hurts but it may be the best thing that ever happens to you.