Thought Drop Thursday: Rejection Is Often Redirection
There are moments in life that feel like the floor drops out from under you.
A job ends.
A door closes.
A plan you were counting on suddenly disappears.
In the moment, it rarely feels like opportunity.
It feels like rejection.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because I’ve seen several people laid off in just the last few days. And if you’ve ever been through something like that, you know the feeling… the uncertainty, the questions, the quiet voice asking What now?
It was just last year that I experienced that moment myself.
After more than two decades with the same organization, my role was eliminated. For me personally, I knew the layoffs were coming and I literally prayed to be included. However, even with that, it was still disorienting, and if I’m honest, a little frightening.
But here’s what I’ve come to believe deeply:
Rejection is often redirection.
At the time, it can feel like something is happening to you.
But over time, you may realize something was actually happening for you.
Sometimes a door closes because it was never meant to be the room where your next chapter unfolds.
Sometimes a role ends because it’s making space for a bigger version of who you are becoming.
Sometimes disruption is the very thing that forces us to step into courage, creativity, and possibility we might never have chosen on our own.
That experience pushed me to build something new, a business centered around helping leaders and organizations strengthen mindset, navigate change, and lead with greater clarity and intention.
It wasn’t necessary the path or timing I had planned, but it was undoubtedly the path I needed.
If you are in a moment right now that feels uncertain, whether it’s a job change, a leadership challenge, or simply a sense that something in your life needs to shift, I want to offer this encouragement:
Don’t assume the closed door is the end of the story.
It might just be the redirection that leads you to something better.
Sometimes the most powerful question we can ask ourselves isn’t “Why is this happening to me?”
It’s:
“What might this be making possible?”
And if you’re an organization or leader navigating change, remember this too: the way we support people through moments of uncertainty often shapes the leaders they become on the other side.
Growth rarely happens in comfort.
But with the right mindset, even disruption can become a doorway to something extraordinary.
Question for you:
Have you ever experienced a moment that felt like rejection at the time, but later turned out to be redirection?
Enjoy insights like this?
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