Dear @mrskode , I am so sorry to hear you have been rejected so much in your life recently. This must be very difficult to deal with .
There is nothing so painful as being pushed away when you feel you give so much. Its the time we always ask " what is so wrong with me that they don't want to be with me ?"
We often answer that question ourselves, and our negative "chatter " can see us going around in circles in our head trying to solve this question. However without the in put of those who have rejected us , we find we get nowhere fast and end up at the same point again " but why?".
The rumination keeps going and we feel worse, beating ourselves up in to swirls of anxiety and depression.
First of all, there are many factors that contribute to why friendships fail and they do not always mean its your doing ! Without knowing the details of the rejections , I would say though, that courageous communication is the key .
Finding a time and place to talk about it with them is one idea that may work.
This may look like this :
1.Call them up on a day when you feel strong and centred and say, " I feel that we have grown apart recently , I enjoy your company so much and really value you as a friend. Could we perhaps talk soon about what went wrong ?" or : " have I done something wrong or hurt your feelings in anyway ? I miss you and hope that we can talk about it over a coffee soon ?"
Writing down what you want to say is also a good idea if you find nerves make you a bit tongue tied on thew phone.
2.You could email them if you feel to emotional to discuss it in person or over the phone. Some people , (myself included )prefer to write as they can feel their emotions take over and they find it hard to articulate clearly and in a non-defensive logical manner their thoughts in a awkward discussion
It does mean you have to be brave enough to accept the outcomes of your broaching the subject and waiting to see their responses. You may hear things that are confronting ( especially if you are honest about their validity ) and things that really sting, but remember your aim is to reconnect not win the fight and so choose to own what you know deep down to be true of you, and say it out loud to them.
3. Apologise for what you did. The way someone sees an interaction and its outcomes depends on their perspective. Their perception , while not necessarily factual , is how they felt it at the time and its important to acknowledge this even if you don't agree with it or it was not your intention. Their take away was hurt - that is a fact . By the same token do not accept ownership of something you know was not the truth .
This takes a very brave person !! You have to be willing to be vulnerable !
I believe however that it is worth the leap and the risk of the friendship not surviving. If it does not repair , at least you can say you tried , and you can move on with peace in your heart knowing you did your best.
Remember none of us are perfect , you can make mistakes and redeem yourself, you deserve it, and if not then the friendship was not meant to be . When you work from integrity and have a willing spirit, the real friends will see this in you and forgive you.
We are all evolving , all the time, and hopefully as we learn new lessons we can become better friends for the new friends of the future.
Perhaps give me more context if this does not resonate with you . Best of luck .
Blessings Motherbear
