Disappointment is painful. It is that feeling that comes when things don’t go the way you expected. It can leave you sad, and frustrated, or even make you feel like giving up. I have had many moments of disappointment, but there is one that I can never forget. It was a time I thought my hard work would pay off, but instead, I was left with nothing but regret and pain.
There was a time when I had the chance to get my dream job. It wasn’t just any job, it was the kind of opportunity that could change my life. The moment I saw the job posting, I felt like it was meant for me. I met all the requirements, and I knew I had the skills.
I spent days working on my application, making sure everything was perfect, I went as far as meeting one of my lecturers who helped me more and tutored me on how to answer some questions during the interview. When I finally submitted it, I felt confident. A few weeks later, I received an email inviting me for an interview. My excitement knew no bounds, I prepared like never before, practicing my answers and imagining how great it would feel to get hired.
The interview day came, and I did my best. I walked out of the room feeling proud of myself, convinced that I had nailed it. I started picturing my first day at the job, making plans for the future. I believed this was the moment I had been waiting for.
After a week, I got an email from the company. My heart was racing as I opened it, I was expecting to see a congratulatory message but Instead, I saw the shocking message of my life and this hit me like a punch “We regret to inform you…”
I read the email over and over again, hoping I had misunderstood it. But no it was clear. I didn’t get the job. I sat there, staring at my phone, feeling numb. How could this happen? I had worked so hard. I had done everything right. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t chosen.
The rejection hurt more than I expected. I felt like a failure. I started doubting myself, wondering if I wasn’t good enough. Maybe I wasn’t as smart or as skilled as I thought. I even started questioning my dreams. If I couldn’t get this job, what was the point of trying again?
For days, I carried the disappointment with me. I avoided talking about it because I didn’t want to hear people say, “It’s okay” or “You’ll get another chance.” At that moment, it didn’t feel like I would. My brother was there to console me because he knew how prepared I was for the interview, I would always dress cooperate and ask him to sit as the employer while he would ask me some questions and I would answer, that's how I practiced all the most asked interview questions, I tried my very best but at last I got rejected.
One day, while scrolling through social media, I saw a quote that said: "Sometimes, rejection is just redirection." For the first time, I stopped focusing on the pain of rejection and started thinking about what it could mean. What if this job wasn’t meant for me? What if I was being redirected to something better?
I decided to change my perspective. Instead of seeing this as a failure, I saw it as an opportunity to improve. Rejection is not the end. Just because one opportunity doesn’t work out doesn’t mean another won’t. Sometimes, we need to trust the process.
Disappointment is painful, but it is also a part of life. The way we handle it determines whether we grow or remain stuck. Looking back, I’m grateful for that rejection because it pushed me toward something even greater.
This is my response to day 23 of the inleo daily prompt, if you wish to join this prompt then you can click on this Link
