A few weeks ago I wrote about a crazy night where I went from an audition to a rehearsal for the show that closed on Sunday.
After a couple of weeks of anxiously waiting, I learned that I did not, in fact, get cast.
Admittedly, I was quite sad when I didn't get cast. I was really excited about the possibility of not only doing another show, but doing my first musical in several years. The excitement and the energy of the audition had lit a fire in my blood that made me really excited about performing again.
Another one of my cast mates from "Proposals" also auditioned, and he said it was almost a guarantee that I would get cast in the ensemble, and so, I was kind of banking on that. So, when the email came saying they were unable to cast me, I was surprised, saddened, and disappointed. A few tears fell, and I had to make a bit of a conscious effort to calm myself down, as it hadn't been the best day to begin with.
After a couple of days, I was able to step back and gain some perspective.
It's never fun to be rejected. By a guy (or girl), by an employer, by a school, by a publisher, by an agent, by a casting director. No one likes being told, "No" in a situation like this because it usually translates to something variation of "You're not good enough." And no one ever likes to be told that they're not good enough. Ever.
Being rejected, in any capacity, is never easy. It's never fun. And no one likes to experience it. It causes hurt and questions. And sometimes those questions are really big, especially if you thought the job was your big break, that guy or girl was your forever, or that college was your dream. It causes insecurity and a whole slew of other emotions that sometimes have a lasting negative impact on our lives.
But sometimes, our hurt over being told that we're not good enough blinds us to the good that can come from rejection.
Getting rejected from your "dream job" could lead to your actual dream job. That girl telling you no or that guy breaking up with you leaves you open to romance with the person you're actually meant to be with. Or that college not accepting you could lead you to a college that could change your life forever.
The point that I'm trying to make is that rejection isn't always a bad thing.
There's that old saying, "Whenever a door closes, a window opens somewhere." The hard part sometimes is finding that window. But rejection always happens for a reason.
I was sad, yes, that I didn't get cast, but at the same time, a lot was starting to happen. Possibilities regarding freelancing and other writing projects started to open up. And while I might have the time to start working on building a freelancing career, continue work on my book, work my regular day job, keep up with my other obligations in relation to church and my social life, and be in rehearsal for multiple days a week...the possibility of me doing all that and doing it well are slim to none.
I would burn out eventually. I would break down.
And the thing is, I do love to perform, but it's only a hobby. It's something I do for the fun of it, and obviously something I can forgo if necessary, considering "Proposals" was the first show I'd been in (outside of church stuff) since 2007.
Writing, however, is my passion, my dream. It's something I've literally been doing nonstop since I learned how to write. I've been written almost eighteen journals over the last 14 years (yes, I number them) and have written 329 blog posts on this blog alone, not to mention other guest posts I've done and the posts I've done for my C.S. Lewis blog. And then there's all the papers, stories, and articles I wrote in elementary, middle, high school and college. The point is I can't not write.
This rejection has reminded me that sometimes rejection in one area happens so your focus can shift to another, more important area.
Rejection results in growth, but only if you're willing to open your eyes up to the possibility of the good that comes from being told "no."
What are some big ways you've experienced rejection? Did they only hurt or did they motivate you in other areas?
----------Image source: Silence and Voice.
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The post On rejection. appeared first on Shades of Shayes.
