Hey my loves,

Lately I’ve been focused on the release of my upcoming book The Single Woman’s Plug and also getting ready for film school next year. Es-tacticcc would be an understatement right now. So yeah, your girl has been focused and busy, but blessed!

As I am showered with blessings by hard work and patience, let me just say I did get tested and rejected through the process. I thought about what my next blog would be about…and it came to me simply. As I look around at me and others, I have had days where its starts off too good and then BOOM! Something happens that puts the fear back in your thoughts. Allowing fear to consume your thoughts puts you in a standstill through every level in your life. Chile, I know because I am a witness. I can’t count how many times I have thought of something great and then I let self- doubt talk me out of doing it. I would wrap my mind around the questions we all ask ourselves from time to time. “What if I fail? What if it isn’t successful?”

The question we have to ask is how we are measuring our success. Are we measuring it by comparing ourselves to what people “post” on social media or do we measure it by our own personal limits? The problem with being “rejected” is because it really sucks at that moment…in some situations, we might even throw a pity party for ourself because the feeling is that REAL. Which takes us back to why I chose to write about rejection for this blog.

I remember when I started writing and knew I wanted to be an author.  I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I didn’t know if I would stick it out with the writing at first simply because rejection had already started creeping in. As more and more rejection letters from publishers was coming back to me through emails and letters, I was feeling more defeated and asking myself, “Why am I even trying to do this shit? I mean, people might not even like my writing.” When I decided to take the route of self-publishing, that’s when my perspective on rejection changed. The irony about is publishers started showing interest after I started self-publishing and expanding my brand. Without rejection, you never find out your limit. Without rejection, you wouldn’t have reason to apply yourself more. I know what you’re thinking…it shouldn’t take rejection to find my purpose in life…right? I can’t speak for everybody, but I can say I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t encountered rejection. In the end, it didn’t matter I got rejected because I didn’t quit. I kept going because rejection not only hurts, but it motivated me. Instead of crying about people who wouldn’t invite me to the table, I created my own table instead.

Lemons are sour, but we need its flavor to add sweetness. In life, we have to turn sour moments into lessons. Even for the sour moments we have no control over, it sucks because we have to accept it. We can dwell on it or we can suck up it up and change what we can change. Rejections and lemons are never easy. The truth is it’s up to you to decide who you become in this world and what you leave behind. God gives you the materials to create lemonade during the sour times of “lemon moments.” We get so caught up feeling sorry that we forget purpose does bring pain, but we have the power to overcome anything.

The only limit is you.

In the meantime, I motivate you to stay hydrated, mind your business, and stay happy! Also, keep enjoying the features, contributors, and everything that makes up oprahzipbradford.com

What are you waiting for? Go build your lemonade stand!

November is National Epilepsy Month! Check out National Epilepsy Awareness Month: Living with a Seizure Disorder