If there’s one thing that I have learned about my time in college, it is that rejection is a very big part of it. Whether that be from organizations, job offers, or even boys. I know the feeling of rejection all too well. I also know that when you hear me say that “everything happens for a reason”, you will want to roll your eyes and chuckle. I used to not be a fan of that saying and I would laugh when people would tell me that. I also used to think that was just a saying that people who always got what they wanted would tell me to make me feel better.
As my first semester at A&M started, I applied for an organization where I really truly believed that I fit right in. After a couple of rounds, I ended up getting #denied. I remember crying to my mom at the ripe age of 20 as to why a group of girls that I just barely met and knew nothing about, didn’t want me in their organization. Even as a 20-year-old, rejection still hurts, and it still makes you want to curl up in your room and pout around for a couple of days. Luckily, I had the best friends to tell me that those girls were lame for not seeing how truly awesome I was! I found myself trying to throw myself into anything that would take me, without any passion or motivation, and tried to force myself to belong because I honestly just wanted to feel accepted.
Unfortunately, I found myself feeling like a puzzle piece that kept being put in the wrong place. I applied for a leadership position in one of the organizations I was in for quite some time and was also rejected. This one really hurt. I felt lost, and I felt like the version I was putting out there of myself wasn’t enough. I contemplated quitting everything I was in at that point and wanted nothing but to never put myself out there again.
Luckily, Christmas break was approaching so I could sulk at home in front of my big Christmas tree, watch TV all day long, and avoid responsibilities in my quiet little hometown. It was the first week of January when one of my best friends sent me a google doc for a spring recruitment interest form. I laughed. Like, I genuinely laughed out loud. This was not something I could ever see myself doing nor ever had interest in doing. To make a long story short, I have found a group of girls who like me for who I am and have helped me to feel so loved and cared for in such a short amount of time.
So, I would like to report back to my past self that “everything does happen for a reason.”
This has led me to believe that rejection truly is redirection. I could not ever imagine living the life that I have now and not having met the wonderful, awesome, and perfect girls that are in my life as I write this. Every rejection that I’ve faced has helped to put me right where I belong. The world works in a unique way, where you’ll end up right where you belong.
If you’re reading this now and have faced rejection or have recently been rejected, I would like for you to know that you will find your place. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how many tries It will take. It took me two and a half years to find a community that makes me so happy that I beam from within. (I’m pretty sure my organs are always jumping up and down). I truly have never felt happier. Rejection may feel like the end of world sometimes, but I can assure you that it is not. Take a breather, give yourself some time and remember that anyone who crosses paths with you will be blown away by how awesome you are! If you keep trying, you will find your people. There are people out there just waiting to love and know you. It will be okay! You are exactly where your meant to be right now.