No, this isn’t a joke. Although I kind of wish it was. And I actually wish spiders knew they’d be rejected (ie killed!) if they come anywhere near me or mine, so would just learn their lesson and stay away.
But that’s not what this post is about.
What do rejection and spiders have in common? They are my greatest fears. One is relatively well-founded. After all, spiders can be deadly. And the ones who have snuck into my homes over the years to terrorise me have all been at least the size of my head (scientific fact: people who are aracnophobic actually see spiders as larger than life) and would happily hurt me terribly if I let them get too close.
Rejection is a little harder to kill with a can of bug spray (or even hair spray, or any kind of spray you have handy). And it is such a crippling fear. This is no pity party: table for one post. This is just me being honest about (one of the things) that has been waking me at ridiculous hours the past few nights.
Fear of rejection.
That’s why I haven’t gone further down the path with a couple of projects I am working on. And it may (despite distinct lack of suiters!) be also why I am afraid to get out there and date again. I am so frightened that people aren’t going to like me – or my ideas – that I’m crippled to inaction.
If I were having this conversation with anyone other than myself – I have even imagined what I would say to Bubba in years to come if I had to have this conversation with her – I know what my advice would be. What is so frightening about the word no? It’s one tiny little insignificant word. And it doesn’t matter if you hear it one time, or you hear it one thousand times.
If you really believe in yourself – and in your projects and dreams – then keep going, keep moving forward!
So why is it so hard to take my own advice?
I was still pondering this on my way to work when fate intervened – Dr Seuss spoke to me (via a friend’s Facebook wall):
Okay Mumma, that’s the kick up the butt you needed for today. Time to take action and follow your dreams.
Because Dr. Seuss said so!
bumpyroadtobubba 
Dr. Seuss had lots of important things to say. I KNOW he had no fear of rejection. His very first book was rejected 29 times!! But he still kept going and became Dr. Seuss in spite of it all. A rejection of any kind is just a stepping stone on your way to acceptance. Take the steps reach the goal…
29 times? Okay, that makes me feel a whole lot better (and those 29 people feel a whole lot worse)!
I suffer from both of these fears as well! Everytime I THINK I have gotten up the courage to do something I freeze for fear of rejection, just like killing a spider in my room lol.
Yep, what Cupcake said.
Great quote! I need to keep that in mind, too!