You are in dire need of a job, and months in, you still haven’t found the right one. You wake up to an email saying they are proceeding with other candidates that better fit their needs, and it hurts. It hurts your ego, it hurts your pride; in short, it hurts. No matter how much you have grown, rejection always hurts. The worst thing about rejection is that you can never get used to it.

Rejection does not exclusively come from your job hunt; it can occur in any aspect of your life. Confessing your feelings, joining a new community, sharing your ideas in public, or even opening up to your own family can lead to rejection. One thing I’ve realized is that even when it’s not our identity that’s being rejected, still, we associate that rejection with ourselves. It’s already hurting us even when we’re only imagining it.

I’m not going to write about how to handle rejections; in fact, I’m not even sure how to do it myself.

The feeling of being worthless, it keeps eating at your heart. You sink even deeper into sadness. It feels like whatever you do doesn’t matter anymore. Sometimes there’s also anger that’s being fueled up by denials.

I know full well how it feels. Like you, I’ve been through a lot of rejections too.

I want to tell you this: whether you didn’t get the job, didn’t win the prize, or had your idea dismissed, it does not change your value.

When you start to feel like you’re in the dumpster, take a rest. Take your time—no matter how long it takes—take as much as you need. I know it sounds cliché, but time does heal wounds. Do things you enjoy, and involve yourself with people who matter. One day, when you’re ready to bounce back, you’ll do it better because you’ve learned the lessons from the rejections you faced.

I pray that one day you will succeed.