A recent #rejection startled me with a feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.

It was a cocktail of emotions that I struggled to parse through. A mixture of disappointment, disempowerment, and doubt – which was particularly surprising because the magnitude of the feelings were disproportional to the object of desire.

What followed was even more interesting to observe – a general state of lethargy with an attitude of surrender and a significantly diminished sense of hope and possibility.

It made me realize how lucky and privileged I’ve been not to encounter this feeling very often in my adult life: A sense of unworthiness.

Without the feeling of self-worth, it’s impossible to ask others for help, speak up, take risks, reach for your dreams, and to be yourself.

It’s a fundamental ingredient to living in a world of what could be, rather than being trapped by what should be.

Thankfully, it’s something we can all work through once we recognize it within ourselves.