The title has nothing to do with uncooked food. Nor about swimming without a suit! The initials were part of a column I read the other day in the newspaper. The answer to a question caught my attention. The question? How to let someone know you are interested in friendship without getting rejected. The person asking wanted to share feelings but didn't want to feel humiliated. I'll quote parts of the answer because I thought it applied to many things in life, even other than relationships.
"The previous question isn't from just one reader--it's from millions. To answer it I'd like to welcome you to Rejection Awareness Week, 2008. RAW is NOT about overcoming the greatest obstacle on the path to finding happiness in love (and life). The following five steps [may possibly] change forever the way you look at taking risks.
- Celebrate the truth--embrace the Universal Rejection Truth of Dating and Relationships. The URT says that not everyone we like will like us. Rejection is as normal, natural and unavoidable as breathing.
- Come Out of Denial--This would be giving the world permission to not always appreciate, include and desire us, while still knowing that we are worth appreciating, desiring and including.
- Train for the Sport of Taking Risks in order to be able to take risk after risk and face the URT again and again. Training means looking in the mirror and embracing what you can't change while working to change what you can.
- Take THE RISK--Success is NOT measured by the outcome. Success is measured simply by taking THE RISK.
- React, Recoup, Repeat--If the outcome is what we expect, GREAT. If not, don't run or attack. Ask what you can do to change the outcome. Take time to recoup and refresh. Then repeat. Continue the process for a year. What you'll discover is that over time, the focus will shift from avoiding rejection to exploring opportunities to find passion in love and in life."
It seems to me that steps 4 and 5 might apply to many aspects of my life in the present time. Worth a try? I hope so.
