PERSISTENCE AND PIVOTS: HANDLING CAREER REJECTIONS

Yet true persistence isn’t simply about relentlessly pushing forward. It involves adapting and handling unexpected obstacles life throws at us. I didn’t fully understand this until I came across a reel by Mark Manson yesterday.

It was a reminder that pursuing a dream isn’t merely forcing your way through every obstacle. Instead, it’s learning to pivot and adjust your course gracefully when you encounter setbacks.

The past few weeks have weighed heavily on my heart, my ego, and my soul. I was hitting wall after wall in search of a new teaching role on international waters. This was despite more than a decade of experience. And the problem kept haunting me all because of one thing: a piece of paper. Yes, a degree.

It seems that in education, your worth is still measured by a document earned long ago—not by the soulful wisdom gained from a decade in the classroom.

“Why does a degree from 2012 carry more weight than a decade of hands-on teaching?!”

That was me after looking at yet another rejection slide into my inbox. The fact that I faced the same problems when I was younger because I had a non-education-related degree was exhausting. But after crying my frustrations out and venting to my partner, I found newfound clarity.

All this was asking me to pivot—to let go of what wasn’t serving me and fully embrace my new calling.

These rejections aren’t a door closing, they’re another opening, pushing me to go all in on my business and my writing—the dream that’s been nestled in my heart all along.

I finally dare to give it my full attention, even if it means taking the route I was avoiding. The route I swore would only be my last resort if worse came to worst: going home.

It was a block in my mind. It always has been. Such a limiting belief, but somehow, it made me feel like a failure for choosing to retreat and start over. Three years ago, my dream was to make it overseas for a better life. And here I am now, three years later, going back to square one.

But is it truly “square one”?

Deep in my soul, I know it isn’t. I’ve grown so much over the years of being away. I’ve transformed into a fresh soul—a blend of the old and the new. I learned new skills and started building a business on my own. I realized new passions and am now committed to chasing my new calling.

Most importantly, I met my soulmate. It’s no longer about my goals but ours moving forward. If going home allows us to be together, and to move closer to our bigger dreams of working for ourselves and being location-independent, then it shouldn’t matter where we are reaching these dreams from—it should only matter that we are, indeed, reaching them.

So instead of resisting, I now choose to flow. Where else could I have gotten the courage to take this huge career shift and prioritize the long-term results? These rejections don’t defeat me; they free me.

Chase your dreams, but don’t force what isn’t working. Understand that it’s never a smooth and straight path. Life throws you roadblocks to teach you the hardest lessons and to lead you in the right direction—the best direction for your soul.

Persistence isn’t about clinging to the dream you first had—it’s about evolving with the dream that unfolds as you grow.

Stay Soulful,

Jopaz