I’m kicking off this week talking about the fear of rejection. (Cue the dun dun DUN music!) Specifically speaking about interpersonal relationships–whether that’s plutonic friendships or romantic partnerships.

I’m currently reading a book called The Pivot Year by Brianna Wiest. (shout out to one of my FC clients Hannah for so generously gifting me with this book!) One of the chapters speaks about rejection. And I love how the author offers a reframe in such a concise way.  

I invite you to think of rejection as redirection.  

When feeling rejected, allow yourself to experience all the emotions that come with it. This is a part of the grieving process. But instead of viewing it as rejection, think of it as a redirection; your partner or friend is not turning you away, but rather redirecting you to a better path that is more suitable for you both. Understand that this was necessary, as the current path wasn’t working out for either of you due to a lack of reciprocity. Consider that this redirection is ultimately beneficial for you. 

So when you are mourning the loss of a friendship or romantic relationship, recite this phrase out loud to yourself:

“I’m simply being redirected onto a better path because my current path was no longer serving me.”