What Rejection Taught Me About Myself

Oh the Sting! 

I have called myself a writer, I even wrote a Manifesto. The truth is today I became a real writer. Why? Today is different because today I got my first rejection letter from a magazine. 

I have to say, the editor was very warm and went above and beyond in her reply to me. She actually gave me writing tips and encouraged me to resubmit. Her advice has prompted me to take some extra steps in preparing for each post to make my pieces stronger. 

That same advice has also made me slightly neurotic. I have obsessively read and re-read the piece I submitted and I see so many things I missed. Embarrassed does not begin to cover the way I feel, but what is done is done. I am moving on now. 

As I write this I hear in my head the advice I have read from Jeff Goins and Jon Acuff.  I have poured over every line of advice from these men I could get my hands on. These men  are successful at the very things I want to do, so what they say has authority. The odd thing is,  now I realize I still  was not getting “it”. 

Until I got this letter today, I did not understand what it felt like to hear a “dream” no. Until today I did not know how determined I really am to succeed at this writing thing. Until today I was playing around. 

Now I need to prove to myself that I can do this. Now I need to attack this and stop goofing off waiting for some “magical” moment when everything suddenly “happens” for me. Now I get my hands dirty and do the work. 

I do not know what will happen. I may never get published in that particular magazine, but I will try again. I will keep trying. I will keep writing. 

Have you had a moment like this, when someone else’s “no” became your “Yes I will!”? Tell me about it, because I would love to know I am not alone in my stubbornness.