Dealing with Rejection

Trying to extract memories from my childhood past of being rejected is nearly impossible, but what I do remember is a video that helped me understand that it is not something to be afraid of but instead embraced.


There are different types of rejection one can get, be it from a romantic relationship, a job opportunity, a familial matter, or a friendship. All can be hard to deal with afterwards, leaving feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, & sadness. I have adopted a new mindset of instilling confidence within oneself, therefore feeling comfortable & aware that not everyone is your cup of tea, & that one should never be content, but always seeking improvement. As human beings with an endless world of multiple paths & experiences, we should never stop at just one specialty, but become well-versed in so many other things.

Never let a rejection from a romantic partner hinder you from your own personal goals, never let a job reject you & make you feel like you weren’t enough, never let family bring you down, and never let a friend make you feel isolated. Simply say to yourself, “I understand. Let me move on.” Controlling one’s emotions and perspective on life creates a stress-free one, which I’m sure all of us want. It may seem like it is easier said then done but trust me, it really is that easy. Feel proud of yourself & know that you are capable & you are enough. We speak many words to the people around us that we forget to speak to ourselves sometimes. Say it in your mind or out-loud to yourself. It will make a difference.

Learning to Overcome Words of Disapproval

Something I have always found hard to do is to somehow silence the voices outside of my own & the chaotic events that seem to follow me. I find myself to be a person who easily gets overwhelmed when dealing with a negative situation or a disapproving audience. I can handle criticism along with taking advice, but it is when something is wrong-intentioned is fed back to me & I get frustrated receiving it is the problem. Many people have an ulterior motive, and that is what makes me afraid when taking in words from someone else–whether or not it is coming from a genuine place or not. I deal with it plenty as I keep to myself very much, & navigate this world mostly on my own, so sometimes that may attract good or bad people & at times it is hard to place which one is which.

I have just learned to overanalyze someone else’s possible intentions and look at their past behavior and usually by then I can pinpoint what exactly they might want from me, whether it be my downfall or success. I am also okay with just going back to be alone as well, I see no issue with it. I see it as, if I can do it, anyone else can too, that is why I’m sharing this so it can be of help to someone.

Active Shooter Drill

At my college I had to experience two active shooter drills within a day, since I happened to have both a morning class & night class on the specific day they chose. In my morning class, my professor relayed what was going to happen with a couple snickers going around. I was dreading coming because I tend to be filled with anxiety once the subject of guns come up. I am scared of them & what they can do. I get overcome with sadness because of the state our country has taken with innocent lives being lost. We followed protocol once a male voice came over the intercom to let us know we were starting, along with an extremely bright light going on & off. My professor had us all duck down & take cover under desks in order to practice. There were laughs & I was confused as to why.


Once we were all seated on the ground hidden behind objects in the room, I glanced around at this newfound angle I never thought I would see in a college classroom. I got chills running up and down along my spine because I had recalled seeing videos of this distinct view. The videos I had seen were from the Parkland shooting, & were Snapchat videos shared on YouTube & news outlets taken by students who experienced the shooting. In the background could be heard screams & gunshots. Reminiscing about what I had seen on social media, the scene I was taking in before me suddenly made me want to cry. I wanted to cry because the sheer fact that we even had to do this had me in disbelief, shock, disappointment, & so many more mixed emotions, all negative. The fact that I heard laughter of others taking this lightly had enraged me. How could they not realize & see what I see? That we need change. That this needs to stop. I was silent the whole time with tears welling up in my eyes for all of the young people who were taken away from this world for no reason at all. I hope that nothing like that ever happens again.

What I Think About Love

When I was a little girl, my mother always told me that no one would ever love me. She meant this in not the way most people would think, she compared it to the love she has for me & the love my family should have for me–that any man who says he loves me….that it would not even compare. As I grew older, I would be told that so constantly, even to this day even after I have someone I love who loves me the same. I’ve always had a difficult time believing her when she’d say that, & I’m happy I did have that doubt because it would’ve made me into a bitter person. My mother I feel, has a reason for continuously saying that to me, & it is because she wants to protect me, an obvious reason. I’m glad that she was wrong or else I never would’ve been able to feel romantic love.


I was a hopeless romantic as a child & a teen. This was reinforced by the phrase my mother always told me. I looked for it in books, in shows, & was looking for something like what they had described in reality but could not find it. I wasn’t particularly bothered that I couldn’t find it, I didn’t know how it felt to long after someone nor be attracted to anybody. I was honestly convinced I was asexual, as I was in high school & all of my peers have had their share of relationships while I had nothing. I was popular but always rejected advances & if not, would try but I was never attracted to anybody. That’s why when my present boyfriend came into the picture, it was life-changing.


I feel the history behind my mother telling me those things & me having to be able to consciously ignore it has to do with my father. He was a cheater & I constantly saw him fight with my mother. She often took me on trips following him to catch him with another women, then subsequently confronting him, in front of me, in front of everyone, & using me as a pawn to make him feel ashamed of himself. She would say in her native language, “Look at your daughter! How could you do this to us?” I look back & I don’t remember what feeling I felt besides something akin to awkwardness but quite not. This would happen from my elementary years, to my preteen, & to my teen years. From then on because of those incidents, I believe men to be trifling, dishonest, and cheaters. That’s what held me from ever allowing love to come into my life.


Now, my life has changed. I have someone I believe who loves me, even better than most of my family has ever loved me. Someone who takes care of me & loves me more than himself. I stood up to my mother, saying not all men are bad, she just so happened to be unlucky. I validated her feelings though, as she had a right to feel that way but also that I did not have to feel the same way as her as I hadn’t even lived out my life yet or experienced my life. That it was wrong of her to push that belief onto me instead of myself figuring it out on my own. What she should’ve done is shared her experiences with me but still be open to the fact that it could be different for me or that it could’ve been different for her. Also if I were at an appropriate age that would’ve helped too, & without the public shame as well. I’m glad I believe in love now.

Partying Then Vs. Now

I was always a woman who enjoyed staying home instead of going out, as I was used to the latter. As I grew up I began to have certain habits, one of them being drinking. I felt that I didn’t possess the funds to carry out this activity, & soon came to know that a way I could get it (for free) was by partying & whatnot. I grew to like it at one point, because in reality, I really had nothing else to do. I was single & did not pursue anyone, nor was I interested. It was all about drinking & getting that free drink. Sooner or later, I began wanting to put aside time for other things, therefore not being able to party anymore along with a growing dislike for the people I was around. I felt that I was nearing my 20’s which was supposed to be the time where you’re hustling & needing to continuously work. I felt that I was ignoring that aspect along with the fact that I come from an extremely poor family, which meant I had to work 10x harder than others, especially the people I was partying with, who happened to be financially-fortunate. The motivation to party soon withered away along with the introduction of a man into my life who happened to not even enjoy drinking (my soon-to-be boyfriend). All of these factors contributed to me stopping the whole charade.


My feelings on drinking diminished as well, as I wanted to be healthier & would just feel shame afterwards. When I would drink it did not feel fun anymore, instead it felt like a habit, that I just did it because I was in a state of complacency & because I did it all the time & was comfortable with it. That’s when I knew it had to stop or at least lessen in some way. Thankfully it did come to an end as I came into myself & who I wanted to be & what I wanted to do. As soon as I made the decision to take a step back, the air suddenly felt less heavy & my mind much more clearer.


As I changed & evolved into the person I am today, I of course made new friends & included new environments, along with having a new relationship that bolstered my path. I am now able to comfortably say yes or no to wanting to party & most of the time it is no. I realized a huge factor that I had dismissed was who you actually party with. I was hanging out with people I didn’t even like & forced myself to because of the desire to drink, & realizing that made me disgusted with myself enough to completely change. It wasn’t worth losing myself in nor losing my individuality in order to fit into their mold & to follow them when I was my own person. Now I have friends that respect my decisions to choose to or not to, now I have a man in my life who helps me figure out who I actually am, & now I actually have fun with the people I’m with if I do decide to party, with or without a drink in hand, it doesn’t matter anymore.

Work & The Changing World

I had a meeting at a different elementary school from the one I work at where I was instructed by a woman as I walked through the door to wear my identification badge at all times. I usually do so I would usually ignore the warning but I was told in such a stern manner that it set off many realizations in my head. That schools no longer can feel as open & inviting to just anybody anymore. Now we are presented with faces that may express doubt if not recognized instead of a friendly greeting of, ” Did you need something?” Tightening security is great in itself, but when does it cross the line? When does it turn school into a scary place?


I remembered I had watched this TEDTalk where a principal described a school as having metal detectors & prison-like bars in order to prevent further violence. Having a school like that deters one from enjoying their education as they should. So when is it too far? I think when it starts to affect the kids physically & mentally it is, where the sudden basis on why they don’t want to go to school is not because they want to play, but because they are afraid. School is supposed to be a happy & fun place. ID badges are normal, but I hope the more strict enforcement of them is not the beginning of scarier defenses put up later on to “protect” the children.

Future Plans

I’m positive my life will work out the way I want it to. Being an organized & anal person has helped me out for the better. A timeframe & structure I can follow has always guided me correctly onto the path I’ve wanted. Without that, I would have never been able to set goals & milestones for myself. I would’ve never tried harder. Everything I intend to do & have done, are an embodiment of my persistence in simply living, & wanting a better life than the one I was given. I’m glad I’m in the process of becoming the best me instead of dipping lower. Here’s to everyone else that wants change something inside themselves.

The Slayer Concert I Went To But Never Talked About

For my boyfriend’s 20th birthday, we had gone to see Slayer play at The Forum in Inglewood. I’ve never experienced a concert in such a vast venue like this one, filled with people all around. I’ve only experienced more intimate, smaller venues, such as The Observatory in Santa Ana. Being that this is a major artist with plenty of fans, I didn’t know what to expect, as I usually vouch for quietness. This was a heavy-metal band, so I knew I was in for something that I’m not used to, but I love him & that’s why I had gotten us both tickets. I was only familiar with screaming vocals & blaring guitars in post-hardcore music, which is way lighter & I can handle such things in small doses. Slayer on the other hand, would do that throughout each song as that was their genre. Thankfully, him & I thought ahead. He made me a playlist of his favorites along with popular songs that they’d probably perform before we went to the concert. I listened to the whole thing & I was super glad I did because I was able to pinpoint what songs I liked which surprised me that I would enjoy it & actually listen to it myself on my own time.


When we arrived at the concert, a couple opening acts played then finally them, & it was like I was launched into a different world. They played some of the songs he had showed me, so I was able to appreciate it a lot. I had such a fun & great time & I wouldn’t mind coming to another concert of theirs. I’m really happy Ivan opened my mind to a genre of music I neglected & was able to allow me to love it as well.

My Thoughts When I Turned 21

I told myself I couldn’t wait to drink. The reality is though, it wasn’t that glamorous of a thought, it was more of an afterthought. I was more concerned with how much time I had left to do the things I wanted to do or what age I would want to be when I completed so-&-so. It was scary. I feel like I’m in a good place but just how much longer would I be comfortable in said place? I realized not much longer & what exactly I would change.


The day in itself was perfect. I love simple and heartfelt things. I would much rather have that than something overdone, loud, & exaggerated. I used to think to be showy but once I learned more about myself & became more comfortable in my own skin, I had an epiphany where I only felt like I did because most other people like that instead. The truth is that I love quiet & I love intimacy between myself & others. I had breakfast with my best friend, work where my coworkers celebrated with me, dinner with my family, then finally, the evening with my boyfriend.


It happened at a time where I wasn’t interested in drinking so much, only rarely. I used to beforehand, but I had realized it was becoming a habit so then I stopped along with Ivan not being a drinker which also fueled me away from that path. We do love wine, champagne, some sake, & our share of Hennessy though. Was I excited about finally drinking legally? Yes. Was I going to be drinking more? No. If anything I was more excited about being treated more as an adult than someone who wasn’t able to do those things listed above. I felt more like myself & proud of who I’ve become at my age, so it was a good day.

BFF

Someone else I consider myself very close to is my best friend, Lydia. I met her when I had moved from my hometown to another city in middle school. I had came in the beginning of 8th grade & I was still processing that I had even moved, going somewhere where I’ve never even heard of. For some reason, I felt a connection with her immediately & reached out to become closer. I’m glad I did. We’re practically the same but different. We never argue, we always compromise, we have similar tastes. She also has a good soul which is especially rare nowadays. We are opposites as well, her being shy & me being more outspoken. Even so, she has a strong personality that truly outshines her when in a situation that calls for it. I’m lucky to call her my best friend.