When rejection stings and it feels like God keeps closing doors 

A pull quote from Mahogany Writing Community contributing writer Shy Taylor that reads,

Sis, let me tell you something about how God works. When He is looking out for you, His protection can look a whole lot like rejection.

We spend so much time praying for open doors that we forget to thank Him for the ones He slams in our faces.

 

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @HallmarkMahogany.

This year started out extremely rough for me.   

I came out of a season that felt like a dry wilderness. I am talking back-to-back, consistent, non-stop doors slamming directly in my face. It didn’t even matter what gig I was chasing, what industry I was tapping into or what ecosystem I tried to plant myself in.

Nothing was working. Zilch. Nada.

Every single application, pitch and interview felt like a ghost town—silent with no reply. I was out there doing everything right and still getting left unread.

I remember I had this big deal I was negotiating. This wasn’t just any regular freelance gig or small-time contract. This was THE DEAL. The one you stay up all night preparing for. The one that makes you feel like all your years of grinding are finally about to pay off. I just knew this was my moment. So, I put my blood, sweat and tears into that pitch.  But when the decision came down, the answer was a flat, cold no.

Chile, my spirit dropped.    

But instead of sitting still and processing the pain, my immediate reaction was to hustle backwards. Panic set in. The moment they turned me down, I scrambled. I started looking for any other company that would say yes to a collaboration. I was knocking on every random door, desperate to find an alternative and desperate to prove that the first company made a mistake. I was ready to partner with anyone just to soothe my bruised ego and bring in the money I so desperately needed.

But looking back? That rejection wasn’t God punishing me. That was God preserving me. He had to stop me in my tracks and help me realize that chasing after substitutes wasn’t the plan. God used every single one of those rejections, especially that massive deal, to stretch me. He took my comfort zone and completely dismantled it. When the world wouldn’t give me a seat at the table, it forced me to stop begging and start building my own.

That stretching was painful, but it was necessary.   

It was building up my spiritual muscle for the bigger plans He already had lined up for my life. The biggest lesson God dropped in my spirit during that dry season was this: we are out here constantly trying to outsource our power. We look to these corporations, hiring managers and external validation systems like they hold the keys to our worth. We wait around for them to say we are good enough, smart enough or qualified enough.

But the Lord has to break that mindset all the way down. The power, the validation and the ultimate “yes” we are chasing? It doesn’t come from them; it comes from within. It comes from the divine spark God put inside of you before you even took your first breath.

I had to reach a point where I stopped looking outward for permission to shine.  

I had to stop running to the next company hoping they would validate what God had already anointed. I had to learn how to get grounded and stand ten toes down, look at my own reflection and say yes to myself before I gave another company the opportunity to dictate my future. And let me tell you, once I shifted my mindset, the craziest thing happened.

What once was a dry season turned out to be filled with a supernatural downpour. Because I didn’t sit around complaining, and because I refused to give up, God made it rain. I didn’t settle for less; I simply reached for more, the exact “more” I knew I deserved.

Those painful rejections didn’t just disappear; they literally transformed into bigger, better and more aligned deals. Once you realize that your worth isn’t tied to a corporate paycheck or somebody else’s approval, the game completely changes. You stop showing up powerless and start walking like the CEO of your life.

God didn’t close those doors to break you; He closed them to make you look inward so He could bless you. And baby, once you say yes to yourself and reach for what you deserve, nobody else’s “no” can stop your overflow.

A portrait of Mahogany Writing Community contributing writer Shy Taylor.

Shy Taylor is a TV personality, host and correspondent seen on E!, VH1, REVOLT Black News and Baller Alert. Based in Los Angeles, she is a force to be reckoned with using her voice, presence and storytelling to inspire others to unlock their fullest potential.