CH 2 WRITING THROUGH REJECTION

Handling the Sting - DRAFT

Handling the Sting

We use some modern techniques to manage our emotions. There is journaling, mindfulness, or just talking with a trusted friend.

When I was a kid, I was told that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words would never hurt me. That was drilled into my head every time I would come home and tell my folks that another kid had called me a name.

After I grew some, if I came home with that same complaint, my dad would tell me that if I didn’t stand up for myself next time, he would beat me. The old '“I’ll give you something to cry about.”

Nowadays, we have softened up to the point that some victims of criticism need some serious couch time with our counselor. Or a safe space where we can shut out the rest of the world. OK, so we’re sensitive. Maybe overly sensitive.

We need to be setting internal boundaries to avoid overthinking the rude comment as a rejection ritual, And then we need to move on! At this point, there may be value in reminding ourselves of our past successes.

Building Mental Resilience

Ideas to Explore.

Strategies for overcoming self-doubt, positive self-talk, and affirmations may work here. Techniques like mindfulness or journaling may help manage the emotional sting.

Teach yourself tips for separating personal worth from professional feedback. For example,"It's not you that got rejected; it’s the story."

Last Words

I talk a lot about how my parents used to try to teach me not to be bothered by insults. I’ve shared a couple of tips with you. And I know the best thing to do is to regard a bad review as constructive criticism, but some are going to come through occasionally as just plain mean.

So, another thing they tried to tell me was that if I couldn’t say something nice about someone, just don’t say anything at all.

As much as you hate to hear rotten remarks about your works, remember to make your remarks about others more helpful than hurtful.