Countless times we see individuals flashing great smiles on their faces, but behind such smiles lie concealed pains in the heart that no one has ever noticed. Once triggered, feelings get heavy, and you can't help but feel the emotion running into your system. Well, it's easy to fall, but it's hard to rise up. Nevertheless, life is round like a ball - we can still bounce back.
A few weeks back, we were given a task about photography, which is something to reflect on. The theme was: "Breaks and Breakthroughs: Life Lessons in Rejections and Redirections."
I spent a day or two thinking of things to significantly represent such a topic, yet the photos I took and the subjects seemed common already, and it feels like something is still missing from those images. Then the rain poured one fine afternoon. As the raindrops fall to the ground, it's as if some people worldwide are crying. Some may be rejected. Others' journeys might have been redirected or were left behind at such a time when they needed someone by their side.
It was not planned, but as I gazed over the window beside me while thinking these things in my head, I saw three ducks in our front yard. These are owned by our neighbor. Two of them look happy while their whole body is getting drenched in the rain. Whereas the other one, which has a different color, is just looking at the two ducks as if it was left behind.
Image by Macjulez
I just felt sad because the photo above, which I took while raining, is something to me that really somehow explains the whole theme given to us. It's heartbreaking because sometimes, some individuals get left behind also just because they are different. Regardless of their actual capacities, talents, and goodness, people still reject them as if they don't exist - a thing that is rampant in today's society.
Sometimes, it's the things we don't directly hear that hurt the most, and it is in our silence that we keep our loudest words.
So when you're rejected, you are left with two options: to either submit yourself to such rejection and be eaten by the monster within you or fight that feeling that is making you down and win over it. Choosing the latter is a good action, but we can't deny that some individuals tend to just experience the former even when they don't want it because we do not have the same pain tolerance. In such a case, know that you are not alone, and you always have someone willing to listen to you, care for you, and whom you can draw strength from.
It's not required to go to the gym and build your confidence again, but if it's the best option you have, do not hesitate to do it because you know yourself better than anybody else. Anyway, remember that it's part of our life, and we sometimes undergo such a process.
As they say, in this world we live in, everyone desires a diamond, but only a few know how to recognize a genuine one. So don't feel down because sometimes, rejections polish you and make you shine brighter. Don't punish yourself. Instead, move on and know that you are better than what others think of you.
Redirections may delay you, but at the same, they may lead you to a brighter future, which is a lot better than what you expect.
A lot of good opportunities are still waiting out there, even when you feel like the stars are not aligning for you. It may be hard to let go of something or someone you really want to pursue, but if it's really meant for you, it will come to you. If it's not, do not force yourself into something that will just hurt you in the end.
If it happens, don't think that it is over. The world will still continue to spin despite that happening. The sun will set, but it will eventually rise again, bringing hope to everyone. As long as you are breathing, do not be afraid to face life's challenges. We are not destined to be a loser. We are bound for something greater.
Before I end it, I also want to reiterate that we should not turn a blind eye to such occurrences because everyone deserves to live in a society filled with concerned citizens who uplift each and everyone, not in a place where everyone thinks of others as rivals and life as a race.
Just remember that each fall doesn't mean we can no longer rise again, and just because we are left behind doesn't mean we are not worthy of care and attention. Sometimes, we just need such space and time as we prepare ourselves for the actual battles of life. Remain still, have faith, and believe in yourself because when everyone turns their backs on you, you still have God and yourself as well.