You Deserve This

I'm really bad at a lot of things.

I'm not saying this because I am seeking attention, or compliments, or some sort of cheap assurance from anyone--I'm saying it because it is true.

I would rather have my teeth pulled than attempt any math problem. If you throw something at me, I'll let it hit the floor before I risk hurting myself. I have zero rhythm. My daddy once told me that when I sing I sound like a Chinese guy in a blender.

There are a few things, however, that I am fairly decent at. I can write adequately. I can make just about anyone laugh during the most inappropriate times. I can get completely ready in ten minutes.

Most people are realistic about their strengths and weaknesses. They may be a little insecure about their shortcomings or shy about their triumphs, but generally speaking, we know what we can do well.

We also know what we deserve--which makes the pain that much worse when we do not get something we believe we deserve.

 

Today, a good friend of mine found out he did not get a prestigious position he had applied for. He's incredibly smart, super-involved, and one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He was beyond qualified for the position, but in the end, he still was not chosen. He spent hours talking up the right people to find out what sort of questions would be asked in the interviews and reviewing facts about the position. When the final decisions were made, he had nothing to show for his hard work.  

What do you do after you give what seems like everything you have to someone or something that did not want, or even appreciate what you offered? What do you do when plan A was the only plan?

Well, I'll tell you what you don't do--give up. You can never stop dreaming, hoping, and pursing the what may or may not lie ahead. You cannot lose faith in life or yourself. You have to believe that not only was this not compatible with you, but that something much, much better is waiting for you.

If I would have been accepted into the Chinese Flagship program at Ole Miss, I would not be sitting here writing this in Club Sterne. If I had gotten what I believed I deserved back then, I may not have found my sisterhood. I would be living in a town that does not have much of a nightlife. I would have had dorms that had community showers--shudder.

In my short (almost) twenty years, I have learned that sometimes life sucks and we don't know why. We are not always sure why things do not work out with a guy, or why we are rejected by our dream school. I have also learned that every single time this has happened, what was waiting for me was worth the initial rejection.

So here's to all the things in life that let us down. Here's to the boys that don't call and the emails that start with "I regret to inform you...". Thank you for teaching us about heartbreak, and even more about hope.

Each rejection is only life's way of saying, it only gets better from here. Embrace it.




Here's a similar post from keynote speaker Simon T. Bailey. *This is also where the above photo was found