How Journaling Revealed “Rejection vs. Redirection” Part 1
WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS
2020 was filled with personal and professional rejection. After a year of journaling, I came to understand it wasn’t rejection but rather redirection. I was able to find clarity through journaling, conversation, and self-reflection.
As if the pandemic of 2020 wasn’t enough to endure, imagine having to deal with an unexpected career transition, a vendor I was working with for Beyond the Legacy saying, “You are too small for us to keep as a client,” and the constant flux of people that found their own unique ways to show their true colors and ungratefulness. That was a high-level summary of my fall/winter of 2020. I was always taught to find the silver lining in every situation life presents. Sometimes you have to just take it all in and say, “What is this trying to teach me?”
During that moment of adversity, I turned to family and an array of friends I could count on. My parents and sister were super compassionate and were there for me as anticipated. My inner circle of friends played a role in the first layer of gratitude. Over time, I recognized who truly cares about me unconditionally and who only cares about me when I have something to offer them. The latter became very visible in the transition and adversity in my personal and professional life.
TIERS OF FRIENDSHIP
There are many layers of friends: acquaintances, peers, friends, and the inner circle of friends. Your acquaintances represent the surface-level individuals you initially meet. Where they evolve depends on many factors but time and trust is a good starting point. Some friends from your past can easily fall back into that bucket from disassociation over time or communication. Your peers represent coworkers and individuals you know from common interests. Some can evolve into the friendship-level but most stay professional and nothing more. Your friends have a core foundation with you, shared experiences, a level of respect which has been built, and in the end you value them but keep them at arm's reach. Your inner circle of friends represent the small intimate group of family and close friends that have seen you at your best and worst. You trust them with your life, your secrets, your dreams and much more. In most cases you’ve been through hell and back with them as each other’s co-pilot.
LIVING IN THE NOW THROUGH JOURNALING
Through journaling I was able to live in the “Now,” but have since revisited conversations and observations from 2021. One of my eye-opening observations was answering the question, “Who in my life was truly grateful for me?” As someone who was raised to pay it forward, be kind to others, and have empathy and compassion, it’s quite humbling when gratitude is taken for granted by the people who surround you. In life we often hold others to a higher standard or expect them to treat us the way we treat them. The reality is we can often be far too optimistic and shy away from being a hybrid of optimistic and realistic. What’s even more frustrating is when the ungrateful or oblivious friends hold you accountable to a higher standard they aren’t willing to hold to themselves.
Take a moment and think about the top three moments in your life where adversity hit you. Whether it was a break up, the loss of a loved one or family member, or something personally or professionally that put you in a dark place. Who was there for you in support? What advice did they share with you? How did you apply it in your life? Think about the volume of phone calls and text messages you exchanged and no matter how redundant or excessive these communications got, they didn’t give up on you. They made time for you because they care about your well-being. Do not forget about the individuals who were there for you during your darkest times. When I journal, I list those individuals in the “I’m Grateful for” tabbed section as a reminder that there are people in my life that continue to show up for me when I need them the most.
The Official Beyond the Legacy Journal: “A Journal of Personal Impact.” —- Purchase your copy in the BTL Shop!
SOMEONE ASKED ME RECENTLY, “WHAT MAKES YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR JOURNAL?”
I replied with, “There are so many amazing journal publications that exist and serve a multitude of purposes. What someone may need may not exist in my journal or it might not resonate with them and I’m at peace with that. I believe in my journal because I lived it firsthand in 2021. All of the tabbed themes, challenges, and self-reflection sections were my 2021 journey. I wanted to create a publication that could be used as a powerful tool to complement one’s personal and professional journey in life. This is something a professional coach, therapist, mentor, or an entrepreneur can share with their clientele or individuals they are supporting. While journaling can spark conversation it can also be paired with a curriculum, program, or custom challenges to maximize its impact on your audience. Since the journal’s publication on November 13, 2021, many individuals have purchased or gifted this journal to help keep them accountable, to unplug from their day, or to pay it forward to someone special in their life. How we impact others will remain a part of our legacy when it’s all said and done. I challenge anyone reading this to positively change the course of history for someone near and dear to you in your life.
PREVIEW TO HOW JOURNALING REVEALED “REJECTION VS. REDIRECTION,” PART 2
Life is about timing. What if the people, places, and things that are consuming our lives are not meant to last? Is it possible that we are guilty of being stuck on autopilot and hesitant to create change in our life? What does it take for the universe to remove a person, place, or thing or for us to get out of our own way and find a new purpose? Approximately 48 hours after my corporate career ended in 2020, I received a text from an NBA veteran and personal friend of 17-plus years. That text would turn into a phone call and would become a “Game-Changing Conversation.” One might say, it was the start of my professional rejection turning into redirection.
Be sure to follow BTL’s Facebook and Instagram Accounts so you don’t miss Part 2 of this short story!
To learn more about BTL’s “A Journal of Personal Impact,” check out the origin story. It breaks down the inspiration behind its creation and the key features within this self-paced Journal.
