When Hopelessness Abounds...

'Tis the season - so why am I getting so much bad news?  Anyone else having this problem?  Maybe a grade slipping or a boyfriend or girlfriend fight?  Or maybe memories of some Christmas past is creeping up and forming the foundation for a ton of "I HATE CHRISTMAS" feelings.

Yeah, I know.  Take a look at what happened to me today.
1)  Daughter Hannah got accepted to Susquehannah University.  GREAT NEWS!  Right?  Except:
2)  I'm out of a job.  Was told today that the position I interviewed for is being outsourced to India.  Ray.  3)  So I've applied for another job.  Got this in the mail:
"We have reviewed your submission and have decided to continue our search for candidates whose skills and experience more closely match the position"


And that's for a job I was SURE was perfect for me.  No sweat - more time for me to write.  In fact, I sent out a query letter to an agent today - my best query letter yet!


4)  "Thank you for your query, but I don't think I would be the best match in this instance."


I have thus had THREE rejections in one day!  Thank God for Hannah's good news or I'd be 0 for 4!


So, what do I do?  Whistle a happy tune?  Hardly.  I was pretty peeved.  I got angry.  Depressed.  Ate some crap I shouldn't have.  Tried to enjoy a few holiday traditional movies, and then decided to write to you all. 


What I did was carry on.  I allowed the emotions to come out, I recognized them, and then moved past them.  The anger lasted for about a 1/2 hour.  The depression, probably a little more than a couple of hours.  May even have a little sitting around me.  But the writing - that's what's keeping me going.


What keeps you going?  Every piece of bad news is an event that you WILL move past.  It's inevitable.  But the more you try to suppress the natural reactions to bad news, bad memories, or bad feelings, the longer they stick around.  My friend Neale Donald Walsch has said that "What you resist, persists."  And it's true.  I can't make these people hire me.  I can't make this person be my agent.  I CAN however, be angry about the job, depressed about the prospects, but only for a little while.  Then it doesn't help me anymore.  I mean, really, clinging to anger isn't going to get me another job, right?


Writing, however, just might.  So that's what I'm doing.


Move forward.  And if you want, think about the fact that you're moving forward with friends.  Don't think you have any friends?  Think again.  You've got one in me.


Try me.