DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS: CHANNELING YOUR WHY.
It wasn't long before tears began flowing
from the corners of my eyes, but to be honest I’m not sure if it was the news
or the fact I was listening to the part in sing where the gorilla voiced by Taron
Egerton performed Elton John’s “I’m still standing”, so I’m just going to say
it was a little bit of both.
Unlike most disappointments I've dealt with
in life, yesterdays’ was quite different, because not long after the music
stopped, I began to smile. Even I was shocked by my reaction, because growing up,
my default reaction of things not going my way was instant tears. Yes, I’m a bad-ass crier.
Thirty minutes into receiving this news, I began
to feel a knot on my chest, the feeling that most people would call “having a
heavy heart.”
I concluded my feeling wasn't because of
what I missed out on, but the fact that I didn't feel too bad for missing out, I
began to ask myself dumb questions like; maybe I didn't want it enough, or
maybe I didn't pray hard enough for it, all this while failing to recognize parts
of my rejection that came with critique.
Two hours into my wallowing, I decided to
read the mail again, and I came across two things I missed out completely.
1.
The fact my rejecter had
complemented me severally, and not completely dismissed my work, and
2.
Gave me clear cut critique that
can be adequately worked on.
After this realization,
against my initial plans, I typed a reply to the mail, ending with; I hope to
meet with you one day. After I hit send, something happened, and no they didn't
miraculously get back to me with a change of heart, instead I remembered what
my uncle who I wouldn't mind calling my mentor told me one hot Saturday afternoon.
“Chi, always remember your
WHY, because when life happen, it’s the only thing that will keep you going.”
Life had just happened.
That very moment, I picked
up my phone and began to Google similar opportunities, and as the pages multiplied,
I never felt more connected to
The phrase; “Delay Is not
denial” which was ironic because the word ‘denied” was exactly what was used in
the email I received earlier, but that’s not important.
Right now as I write this,
I’m still a bit hurt but I’m no longer disappointed, thanks to my WHY. Like my
uncle predicted, it worked in getting me off my ass and feeling sorry for myself,
if anything, I’m more driven than I was hours before opening that ghastly mail.
I read a tweet once about
how no one shares their failures or disappointments online. That same week, I read
another tweet where a lady congratulated lawyers on her timeline for passing their
bar exams, while unapologetically telling people that she failed her exams. She was certain next year, she was going to
was going to retake the exam and pass.
That inspired
me.
So as I resume my 9-5 this
week, I’m bracing every motivation, even the ones spurned from my L’s.
Not sure how much this
might inspire you, ( disclaimer: it might not.), but I’m certain there’s someone
you know who can relate to this, and feel free to drop words of Encouragements
in the comments, because I’m certain someone who is reading this does.
Drop your Instagram
handles as well, I’d love to share your words with my followers.
2 comments
Needed this ! Thanks a lot ! and well done
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