No matter how much you’ve tried you just can’t seem to fit in! Like a bruised and swollen thumb sticking out from four normal fingers, you seem awkward and useless. You’re a total reject, and the pain you feel inside is a lot worse than any sore thumb or other bodily injury.

Rejection has many faces; all of them are ugly and destructive. Rejection takes all the air out of the balloon of self-esteem and confidence you once were able to fly. Being ignored or openly put down in your family, school, or among the kids whose friendship and respect you really want can make anyone feel like a total loser. You got a hit of rejection (and everybody is rejected by someone at some time or other). Don’t take the hit lying down. Put your mind to finding some upbeat way to look at things!

Let’s say you just met somebody gorgeous you’d like to hang out with. Unfortunately, that somebody does not feel the same about you. So you get the brush off! So what? Hurt as you feel (which is only natural), think about this: If you just missed your bus or subway on the way home, there will be plenty of others coming along, right? Maybe one or two of them will turn out to be more comfortable and reliable than the one you got so upset about.

The point it rejection hurts but isn’t life threatening. It’s nothing more than one or two people’s opinion or mistreatment of you. While it’s the most natural thing in the world for you to want attention and acceptance, the best way to get it is to first accept and approve of the really special person you are. Everybody is special, yet nobody’s perfect or perfectly right all the time, especially not those kids or adults who are way wrong in rejecting you.