Have you ever gone through a season where you kept getting rejected,
and eventually you started wondering if you were the problem?

I’ve been there.

My Path to Becoming a Teacher Wasn’t Exactly What You’d Think

My original major was Chemistry. And let’s just say…
Chemistry and I did not have a great relationship. 😂

After failing the class three times, I eventually changed direction
and defaulted to teaching.

I completed the Teacher Education Program for a Multiple-Subject
Credential, and during my student teaching experience, I discovered
something else:

I really didn’t like teaching.

There was so much preparation and prework, and honestly, it felt more
like babysitting than what I had imagined a career would feel like.

But I had already invested so much into the credential, so I
continued down that path.

Years of Rejection I Couldn’t Explain

Then I started applying for teaching positions.

And applying.

And applying.

Years went by, and I wasn’t getting hired.

And here’s the vulnerable part:

I took it personally.

I started wondering if there was something about me.

Was I not good enough?
Was I not what they were looking for?
Was there something I was missing?

I didn’t know. I just knew I wasn’t getting the jobs.

And when you experience rejection over and over without understanding
why, it can quietly chip away at your confidence.

That’s what happened to me.

The Discovery That Changed Everything

But then, in 2008, I decided to go directly to the school district to
find out what was happening with my application.

And that’s when everything changed.

I discovered there was a problem with my teaching credential paperwork
that I didn’t even know existed.

My credential application had never been submitted to the California
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

And suddenly, all those years of wondering “What’s wrong with
me?” became a very different story.

Maybe it wasn’t me.

And let me tell you something about myself: when I discovered what
had happened, I didn’t retreat.

I fought.

I went straight to Pepperdine. I went to the administration. I told
my story. I asked questions. I pushed for answers. And ultimately, I
pursued legal action.

Because that’s who I am. I’m a fighter.

Stop Making Their “No” Mean Something About You

Here’s what I wish I could go back and tell the younger version of me
who spent all those years applying for jobs:

Stop making their “no” mean something about you.

Because sometimes we don’t have the whole story. Sometimes we’re
judging ourselves based on circumstances we don’t fully understand. And
sometimes the thing we think is evidence that we’re failing is actually
something completely outside of us.

That’s why Genesis 50:20 means so much to me:

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Genesis 50:20

Sometimes we can’t see what God is doing while we’re living through
it. We just see the rejection. The disappointment. The closed door. The
unanswered questions.

But God sees the whole picture.

And years later, we may look back and realize that the thing we
thought was going to destroy us was actually part of the story God was
using to build us.

Preparing us. Strengthening us. Redirecting us.

Maybe That’s Where You Are Right Now

Maybe you’ve been taking something personally that was never a
reflection of your worth. Maybe you’ve been letting a rejection define
how you see yourself. Maybe you’ve been wondering why something you
wanted—or even something you simply thought was supposed to work
out—hasn’t happened.

I want you to hear this:

Don’t let a closed door convince you that you’re not
enough.

You may not have the whole story yet. God does.

And that’s why I want to encourage you to keep going. Keep seeking
Him. Keep replacing the noise with the truth of His Word. And when you
know it’s time to fight, fight.

But don’t fight from a place of proving your worth.

Fight from knowing your worth.

Because your worth was never determined by whether someone opened a
door for you.

Your Health Story Isn’t Over Either

This is part of why I’m so passionate about helping people regain
their health, their energy, and their confidence — because I know
what it’s like to lose confidence without even realizing it’s
happening. And I know what it feels like to begin finding yourself
again.

When you start taking care of yourself, something changes. You show
up differently. You reconnect with yourself. You begin believing in
what is possible again.

And when you feel stronger — physically, mentally, and
spiritually — you have more capacity to step into what God has
called you to do.

So if you’re in a season right now where you feel like you’ve been
knocked off course, please hear me:

Your story isn’t over. The rejection isn’t your
identity. The closed door isn’t necessarily the end. And what was meant
for harm doesn’t have to have the final word.

God can take what was meant for harm and use it for
good.

Maybe you can’t see it yet. But keep going. Because I believe there
is more for you. I believe God has a purpose for you. And I believe He
wants you healthy, whole, confident, and ready for what He has called
you to do. ❤️

If you’ve ever experienced a rejection that made you question
yourself, I’d love to hear from you: what did you once take
personally that you later realized wasn’t about you at all?