Rejection Cannot Dim My Light

On rejection, rest, and telling new stories about yourself

Hey everyone! If you’re new here: I’m Kandice, a neurodivergent mom and entrepreneur living abroad in South Africa, while rebuilding my career after an unexpected leadership transition. I write about creative ways to care for yourself within a full and sometimes chaotic life.

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Before you start reading, I encourage you to do 1, 2, or all of these things:

• Take a deep breath

• Stretch your arms or legs

• Let out a loud sigh

Consider this your space to pause, breathe, and be present with yourself as I share a part of my story

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I have been applying to jobs and consulting opportunities consistently. Some positions feel deeply connected to how I want to work and the impact I want to have in the world. At the same time, I am building offers within my consulting business that are fresh and exciting. I am looking for a role or contract that can serve as a bridge while this next chapter grows.

The road isn’t easy, though.

Last week was one of those weeks that made me ask, Why? I received four rejection emails back-to-back. While I had a healthy sense of detachment about whether I got the roles or not, it still hit something tender in me.

Rejection has a way of stirring up stories about your worth, your value, and who you are. I’ve been intentionally releasing those stories, especially the ones connected to labor and overworking to prove myself worthy.

So instead of spiraling into what was wrong with me, my application, or the company, I’ve been practicing telling a different story.

I cannot fully know why I wasn’t chosen for a position. My first interpretation is not automatically the truth. I don’t need to run away with thoughts that may not even be real.

After reading a rejection email, I ground myself in what I know to be true.

I am brilliant.
I am brave.
I am passionate.
I am deeply capable.

Rejection is not all about loss. I am learning to receive it as space to reimagine more. This season is becoming an exercise in learning how to love and accept myself through growth, uncertainty, and transition.

I revisit my ideal day and my goals to remind myself to keep going and take things one day at a time. I remind myself that I will not overwork myself just to find work. I will not repeat patterns that don’t serve me. Instead, I return to things that feel good in my body.

I dance.
I write on Substack.
I cook.
I play with my kids.

This journey is fluid and messy, and that’s ok!

I do not fully know what is on the horizon for my work, but I know something meaningful is growing. I know I am planting seeds, watering them, and allowing myself to be seen differently.

Rejection cannot dim my light. It can’t dim yours either.

If anything, it is helping me get clearer about what I truly want. It is helping me slow down enough to consider how I want my life to feel, not just what I want it to look like.

As you navigate rebuilding work, relationships, your health, or yourself, I hope you remember this:

Rejection has a different story to tell than deficit or despair.

On the other side of rejection can be clarity. acceptance. joy.
On the other side can be a life that fits you better than the one you were trying so hard to hold onto.