"Failure is part of the process. It's an opportunity to start over again more wisely." Daymond JohnRejection. I hate the word. It’s without a doubt my greatest fear. Yet, I write. In the life of a writer—if you ever want to get published—the first, most important, lesson to learn is to face rejection. Stare it in the face, and move on. Once I was asked to turn in a story by the senior editor of a major magazine. He asked me to send it directly to his personal email. After a month of tweaking it a hundred times (not an exaggeration), I submitted it. Since it was a story about veterans I made sure to get it in by April so it might appear in the November issue…Veterans Day being November 11th. He acknowledged the receipt of my article but then I heard nothing. When the November issue came out I looked for the article thinking maybe they just forgot to notify me that they were going to publish it. But there, as big as life, was a veterans article by Elizabeth Dole on her organization that supports veterans' spouses. I tried to comfort myself with the idea that if I had to lose out, at least it was to a celebrity…a celebrity that had started a much needed organization. But it really wasn’t much comfort. All my rationalizing still spelled ‘rejection’ down deep where it eats at my insides. I wanted to cancel my subscription so I wouldn’t have to look at the magazine every month, but my husband enjoyed reading it. Given time I was eventually able to resume writing and submitting. Then out of nowhere I got an email from this editor. They were planning to publish my article in May for their Memorial Day issue. The sting of rejection melted into the warmth of acceptance. This was when I was reminded of the second most important lesson for writers: Patience. Putting aside the warmth for a minute, I revisited the wound of rejection. I had to remind myself that rejection is just part of the process...whether I were to get the second email or not. The scar tissue from my original wound made me stronger; with a greater resolve to believe in myself, to practice my craft, to boldly write, and courageously submit…to again love the life of a writer.
Note: Daymond John (1969- ), an American businessman, investor, television personality, author, consultant, and motivational speaker. He’s best known as the founder, president, and CEO of FUBU (For Us, By Us, a rapper clothing line), and regularly appears on the ABC reality series Shark Tank.
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WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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