"Rejection is Protection"

Let’s talk about motivation perception and shifting our perspective from loss to opportunity.

I can’t take credit for this quote, friends. Amber Fillerup mentioned on insta that Jen Atkin said this in passing at a dinner once, and it stuck with her.

It stuck with me, too.

Of all the human experiences, rejection can be one of the most painful. Whether it is a job, a partner, a friendship or a dream…. To be rejected attacks the very essence of who we are: our worth and biological desire to belong. And I think it’s not just the individual sting that hurts, but when it hits on all of the past times we experienced loss.

When feelings compound on one another due to repeated experiences it can be debilitating. Over time, we internalize these experiences and create meaning.

“I always get left. Nobody stays.”

“My skillset is never good enough.”

“I’ll never get to where I want to be.”

“Where the hell is this “village” everyone talks about? I’ll never have a community in my motherhood journey.”

“Nobody messages me back.”

“I’m unworthy.”

But what if instead of wallowing in that despair (remember, we can hang out there for a while, but we have to actively move forward at some point), we viewed this as a form of protection?

A sign that this actually wasn’t meant for us. A message that something better or different is coming: something healthier, safer, more fruitful and truly meant for you.