Bounced back from painful rejection

[Flexi-Girl]

Yesterday something very special happened to me, and I wanted share it here for other members as inspiration and also to feel better. Recently I experienced a painful rejection, and no matter how much I consoled myself, and told myself that rejection is OK, I couldn't seem to make the pain go away completely. I am not overly sensitive, and I realize rejection happens to everyone, but why did I still feel like such a loser? Why was I still racked with this shame if it truly wasn't about me?

This weekend my answers came to me. I was around town searching for a new apartment, and I wasn't sure where to begin my search. I am new to the area. Not having a real plan, I just started driving around stopping at random apartment buildings here and there. As I discovered aspects that interested me, I would boldly ask people of chance who looked like they lived in these buildings what they thought. Overall people seemed eager to share their opinions with me as it gave them a chance to speak their mind. Doing this I noticed their expressions went from dull to bright.

There was this one girl I approached. She seemed a little shy but came to life immediately when I asked her about this location. She was more than eager to tell me everything she liked about this place. Soon our conversation shifted to other things. In that time I found out she was from another country, and she was very lonely because she doesn't really know anyone and has no friends. I told her she has a friend now. We only talked for a few minutes, but in her broken English she explained how much happier she felt having someone actually pay attention to her.

This surprised me because to be honest, I was just more interested in finding a nice place for myself. Yes. I was only mildly interested in the lives of these random people and yet somehow made their day brighter.

How can this be? If I am a such a loser, how can I make other people feel good? Then it hit me. As much of a loser as I was feeling, there are probably other people all around that feel just as much of a reject or worse. So in an unexpected way, I gave someone else a sense of acceptance. No pity, just acceptance, and all I did was pay attention.

As I was driving home I realized that I too, no longer felt like a loser. I feel that my random encounter with this girl healed her rejection while at the same time healing me of mine. That's why I want to share this.

Anyone here who feels painfully rejected, please remember this. You are so much more than the rejection you experience. You don't have to wallow in the pain and loneliness of that rejection. Give someone else who needs it , the gift of your seemingly insignificant acceptance, even for a minute and you'll see what a loser you aren't. Suddenly or sooner than later, you're confidence and self esteem will go way up. You'll feel like you can do things you never thought possible, and you'll wonder how you found what's missing in yourself.

The best thing is, it doesn't even take you being anything more than who you are. Pay attention to someone else, that's it, a random person maybe. Be the opposite of rejection. So I hope if any one of you here ever feels that way, you'll remember this post and try it for yourself.