Onwards and Upwards!

Don’t know who needs to hear this today 21st of August 2021.

I wrote the post below when I was just starting out with this blog – unbelievably three years ago now. It still stands true today.

If you believe in something, truly wholly believe in something enough to pour your heart and soul into it, invest time and energy, sacrifice certain things for it, then don’t hold back! And certainly don’t let bumps in the road slow you down or block your path. You got this!

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Yesterday, I was about to quit. I was about to switch off my laptop, put it back into its bag and say goodbye to writing.

I find disappointment after disappointment each time I open my email and find rejections from editors. To say that is disheartening is to put it mildly.

You see, the hardest part of anyone’s life is putting yourself out there. After pouring your heart and soul, your blood, sweat and tears into your work you expect everyone- however unrealistic that is- to like it even praise you for it.

When you offer a piece of yourself or your time or your gifts it comes as something of a shock when instead you get?
Indifference, ridicule or worse- contempt.

But I know better of course. I know there are millions of people who face rejection and dismissal every day and they still go back and give of themselves. They still do what needs to be done.

They face racism, Islamophobia, segregation, gender discrimination, discrimination because of disability and snobbery.

They hear NO everyday, they have doors slammed in their faces and they have lost count of how many times they have been told “you are not good enough” But they keep on. They pick themselves up, dust themselves off and say ‘onwards and upwards”

Because we humans we live with hope. If we did not then there would be no reason to move forward or to even get out of bed.
There is so much that can break our spirit if we let it. but then there is so much out there that can lift our spirits if we let it.

We can choose to ignore all the positives in life and instead focus on what is not going so well. We can decide to dim our lights or we can make up our minds to try again.

So here I am undefeated and unwilling to play small or safe.
And I am here to tell you that in life you will be rejected. many times over.

Now the question is: will you let that break you or make you?