On rejections and perspective.
I had a journal paper rejected this weekend. It was a multi-year project that my team had invested a lot in.
The rejection was rough.
It didn’t feel good.
I took a step back.
There is a brutal war in Ukraine, citizens protesting in support of women’s rights in Iran, and people recovering from a brutal hurricane in Canada.
While these events don’t diminish how I feel, taking perspective helps me remember that my life is pretty good.
We can choose to wallow in the misery of rejection and the moment or we can choose to look forward and be grateful for what we have.
I look forward to fixing our paper’s issues and putting it back under review. I have a good team and I’m grateful for every single member’s contribution to my academic life.
How you let rejection affect you, is up to you.
I find seeing the opportunity that rough feedback brings leads to greater happiness and confidence with time.
Give it a shot. It makes academic life a more navigable.
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