I’ve had time this past weekend, which has been my first weekend “off” in a few weeks, to sit and think about what exactly I’m aiming for in my college career. I’m nearly halfway finished with my junior year, I’m majoring in a subject that I had no intention of choosing when I was accepted to USF, and my freshman interests have shifted and narrowed. At twenty, I’m not the same young woman I was at eighteen. There’s been physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental shifts in me throughout the past two years. And I’m grateful for each.
I want to focus on a sort of saying I’ve been telling myself over and over throughout my time in higher-education, a phrase that I’ve leaned on when I was losing trust in myself and in what I thought was God’s plan for my life. That saying it’s basically: it’s better for present me to get a “no” after asking for what I want, instead of future me wondering what might have happened if I had actually asked. And I know what you’re thinking, it’s going to be another trite article about how “rejection is God’s protection,” and “if you don’t try you’ll never know!”
However, I’ve put this saying, and the actions behind it, to the test over and over again. Every time, the results have worked out in my favor. Tonight, I will be attending the release event of USF’s literary magazine, Thread, where a poem of mine, “Taylor,” has been selected for publication. The Thread team saw promise in my poem, invited me to read it during the event, and to attend and support everyone else whose artwork is being published. I can think back to eight-year-old Samantha, writing in her journal about wanting to be an author (I still have that journal). To freshman Samantha, sending in her poems to a variety of literary magazines, Thread included, and being rejected. I could have given up, told myself that I had no promise as a poet, and never written another poem. Instead, I kept writing, and kept submitting my work. I knew that at some point, I’d write something that would resonate with someone else. And now twice, my work has spoken to someone, and they’ve decided to share it with others.Â
Getting rejected from a literary magazine, from a potential job, or even getting rejected by somebody you’re into absolutely sucks. I would not wish it upon anyone. But, in this life, it’s almost inevitable that at some point you’re not going to get the job you want, or the scholarship you applied for, or that spot on an E-board that you’re running for. Being turned down is a part of life.Â
I know that being rejected from one opportunity only leads you to the next. Despite what social media, the news, and even our friends and family say, there is an abundance of opportunity for you to shine and grow into the person you’re meant to be. Two weekends ago I was in Washington D.C., attending a public policy program at The Washington Center. I’d applied to the program over the summer, with zero expectations of getting in. In August I’d gotten rejected from a study abroad opportunity, so with September rolling around I figured I may as well toss my hat in the metaphorical ring for the program, and then go on with my life. And, as I said above, they accepted me. It was an amazing weekend, and I made so many connections and met a few people I now see as friends.Â
If you’re reading this, it’s your signal to take the risk, and toss your hat in the ring for what you want. It does not matter if you don’t feel qualified, and it does not matter if the opportunity seems out of your range. Don’t preemptively say “no” for yourself, because you might be holding yourself back from what is meant for you, and it could change your life for the better.Â
