We all know this feeling. We’ve pushed ourselves, given our all – at work, in relationships, in projects, at our core. We were brave, we went all in. Without backing. Without a double bottom.
And then it came:
The rejection.
Sometimes as a clear “no”.
Sometimes as a cold silence.
Sometimes as ghosting – suddenly, without explanation, without saying goodbye.
As if we had never been there.
Then we tell ourselves it doesn’t bother us. We smile, carry on, play hard.
But deep inside us?
It burns. It hurts us. It tears open wounds that we thought had long since healed.
And the question quietly arises: “Was I not good enough?”
But precisely in this pain lies something that we often overlook: an invitation to change.
Rejection is not the end. It is a mirror that shows us who we really are – when no one confirms us, when there is no applause, when we are completely thrown back on ourselves.
In such moments, we discover our greatest strength. We realize that our dignity, our value, our direction does not depend on whether someone says “yes” to us. It depends on whether we ourselves are prepared to look, feel and grow – even if it hurts.
Yes, rejection can be brutal. But it can also be the very thing that wakes us up. What forces us to become honest.
With ourselves. With our patterns. With our fears.
When we stop avoiding it and instead start seeing it for what it is – a wake-up call – then the pain becomes a gift.
We are not what others make us out to be.
We are what we make of ourselves when no one is looking.
So let’s stop fearing rejection. Let’s start using it. As a springboard. As an invitation to heal. As a turning point.
We are not alone in this.
What rejection has had a particular impact on you?
What did you take away from it?
Listen to episode 35:
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