How Rejection Actually Feels Like

I was rejected, again. At 8 years old. That little bicycle of mine lost balance and I fell again. My friends were laughing at me. But, they also picked me up and cheered me up to try again. Oh, if not for them, I would have stayed at the ground, crying. After falling, again and again, I was able to ride it. Finally, I raced my friends and won it. All I could remember now was the joy of riding it. Riding through the streets, racing my friends, falling together, and laughing. Now, It has become such a lovely memory.
But, When I was rejected again, 16 years later, in an interview. I felt the world was turning against me. I was capable, fit for the job, had the skills and I thought the interview went well. Then why was I not selected? The same question circling my mind. Though my friends were there to cheer me up, there was this insecurity which made me feel so low. I started questioning myself if I am worthy enough. Where is that 8-year-old girl inside me? For a month, I lost interest in things. Got rejected again and again. I wonder, getting up again is not an easy thing as people say. How did people achieve so much after they fall so low? What was it guiding them? Where did they get the motivation to try again, with the same level of energy or even more? I need to find the answers. The only way to find the answers is to look for them where you lost them.
Maybe, we must get used to rejections. Take up the pain till it feels like nothing. There is always another chance. I might never know what I would be if I made the alternate choices? What if I had decided to run back home and not ride again. I would have had no memories of my childhood. What if I had decided to sink in my insecurities? I would have been depressed. Thank God, something inside me motivated me to stand up and smile. Just stand up again and smile. Everything in our life plays a significant role-taking us to the place where we belong.
Believe in yourself. It is a simple thing to say but very difficult to do. Set your goals and work towards it. Reward yourself when you achieve it. No one in this world is the same. X is different from Y. Never ever compare yourself to others. Also, a simple thing. When all your friends get placed and you are still getting rejected, just believe in yourself and you can do wonders. Do things that make you smile. Times pass by. Accepting the things and working on yourself makes you a better person who is prepared to face the world.
No one would have even imagined things like this to happen before 6 months. When I said, "things like this" you would I have thought about "something". That "something" is different for each person who is reading this article. Yes, even though I'm not sure if anyone will ever read it. So, let me point out the few things happening around me. One end people are losing their lives, quarantined at hospitals, staying far away and longing to back home, spending each penny carefully to feed their family and literally struggling for their lives.
While at the other end, people are in this race, to finish their homework, internships, attending webinars, classes, doing courses on Coursera, gaining new skills, building networks in LinkedIn, finding live projects, and also "struggling" for life, as they say. Fortunately, I belong in this second group which made me question the exact purpose of life. What are we running for? Where will doing all this take us? We are all fighting this battle. What is this for? There is my favorite quote from the movie parasite which goes like, "You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. No plan. You know why? If you make a plan, life never works out that way."

Remember the Truth or dare game we play for fun? I would do anything to win the “dare” game. In any situation, I would think this is a game of truth and dare. All you need is 5 minutes of courage and you can win this. That has made me pretend like I have all the courage in the world and finally I win. Fake it till you make it. I wish tons of courage for all the students facing rejections and still standing up. There is always another Chance!