Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Responding to Rejection



Rejection – the act or state of being rejected.  To reject is to refuse to accept, submit to, believe, make use of, consider, grant, recognize or give affection to (a person).                   

Truth be told, every person on the face of the planet has experienced some form of rejection.  Whether as a child or an adult, intentional or not the effects are the same – disheartening.  How we respond to rejection will eventually begin to tell our life’s story.  Meaning, we will either become better because we rose above it or how we will hold ourselves back because we spiraled into the trenches of hostility.  Either way, it’s left up to us on how we handle the rejection.
Since we interact daily with people from all walks of life, we’re certainly susceptible to this sort of thing by something either said or done.  On the contrary, feelings of rejection although unwanted can create an opportunity to grow.  Of course I’m not an advocate of discomfort, but it’s a part of life and we should learn how to handle things with the right attitude.  Depending on the circumstance, we may not always respond in the right way, but with each incident we can improve in our reaction. 
Avoid the urge to take things personally.  Understand that sometimes our interpretations are jaded.  When we use our own computer (our brain) to interpret and conclude the intent of any given action without asking questions to ensure we have arrived at the right conclusion, we set ourselves up for unnecessary anguish and disgust.  Try to put things in the proper perspective and hold off on letting your emotions go awry. Always give the benefit of a doubt unless otherwise noted.  And even then, give it more thought before you react.
Remember . . . When life throws you a lemon don’t become sour, learn to make lemonade instead. 

 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Elegance At the Table


The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, and to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Who doesn't like an outdoor celebration such as a dinner party or wedding reception?  Careful attention is taken to select the guest list, color scheme, table setting, music, and food to pull the whole event together.  I especially like the uniqueness of style filled with personality - a little whimsical even and people reconnecting with old friends and relatives.

Laughter, good conversation, and good food set the tone for creating memories that we enjoy as past times.

It's moments like these that remind us to take time to enjoy life and stop sweating the small stuff!  Enjoy the beauty of flowers blooming, the smell of rain, the laughter of children, and the love and affection of aged couples holding hands. Breathe!

Take it all in and settle in your mind that Life is about experiences.  Whether we encounter difficult moments or pleasant ones, both are needed to shape the person we are becoming.

I'm reminded of a story of a little girl who was given a life lesson by her father.  Her father placed 3 pots filled with water on the stove.  In the first pot he placed a carrot.  In the second pot an egg, and the third ground coffee beans.  He let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to his daughter, he asked, "Tell me what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.  Her father asked her to take a closer look. after which she asked what it all meant.  Her father explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" he asked his daughter.

Encouragement: Never Give Up!  Dream big, Work smart, Love hard, and Forgive often.  Remember . . . Life is 20% what happens to you and 80% how you respond to it.