I had my first post already written out and planned before rejection reared its ugly head back into my life. We’ve crossed paths repeatedly since I was a young girl. Rejection scores pretty high on the list of recurring fears in my life. The whole point of creating this community is that I won’t let myself or anyone else dull my shine. What better place to start than giving myself permission to face my fear head on?

I have been pouring my heart and soul into the creation of this site and the supportive loving community I intend to build through it. Here I am a few days before launch day wondering if it’s worth putting myself out there. What if it doesn’t turn out how I expect? What if no one cares? What if this is all stupid and pointless? Am I really being called to this or am I going crazy? The list of what ifs and self-doubt doubles by the minute if I dare go down the rabbit hole.

I look for reassurance anywhere I can find it. My husband, friends, family--anyone who can help me take the edge of the anxiety that’s building. But the thing is, nothing will reassure me if I don’t feel self-assured. All the compliments and encouragement in the world won’t help if I can’t be there in my own corner pushing myself forward. Putting one foot in front of the other. Believing in myself. How often do you take the time to intentionally believe in yourself?

I believe that one of my purposes in life is to uplift those around me. At varying intervals of my life, I’ve unlocked new low points. I’ve felt so low I wasn’t sure if I would ever make it back up for more air. Knowing that I can share insight with someone else and help them resurface fuels me. Although the person who said it is up for debate, the quote “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” applies perfectly here. Lifting the people around me doesn’t feel like work, it feels like I’m building up good karma for a rainy day. If I can lift others, why don’t I do it for myself too?

I cannot begin to imagine how many opportunities I’ve missed out on because of the fear that I would be rejected in one form or another. That stops now. I’m going to make an intentional effort to identify rejection when it rears its ugly head and stop it in its tracks. As hard as being vulnerable is, it is much harder to deny a calling. I’m going to learn to believe in myself, squashing every bad thought possible, even if I have to fake it until I make it.

In what area(s) of your life, are you allowing fear of rejection to hold you back? If you dig a little deeper, how do you treat yourself in this particular area? If you come face to face with rejection, why exactly do you take it so personally? Is there an insecurity that lies beneath the surface? Below are some ideas, which I like to call ‘fruits of inspiration & grace’ (FiGs), to help you start to reframe the way you handle yourself in the face of rejection.

A hard truth in life is that we all experience rejection from time to time. It’s hard but we all must face it. Why then, do we reject ourselves when what we really need is love and self-acceptance? I’d like to invite you to reflect on this week’s FiGs with me. Take the first step to treating yourself as kindly as you treat your favorite person. Before you know it, you may just find yourself accepting yourself as you are. If you'd like a practice scenario that explains how you can apply this reflection's 4 FiGs in your life, you are invited to subscribe to the 'FiG 4-1-1' newsletter here or below. Don't forget, you are worthy of love and self-acceptance just are you are.