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Paul Connors's avatar

OMG! I love that commercial! So, Mark. I applied for over 300 jobs in a row without so much as a "thank you but no". Crickets! Then I applied for the Twins job. I was hired basically on the spot by Brian. Right before that point I was so disgusted and pissed about ageism, neglect, company policies about hiring etc. I was pulling my hair out! That is when I found, as you said, "My Happy Place At the Ballpark". Good things come to those who keep going. Success is a bunch of little failures all stuck together in sequence. I was just hired last week by the Census Bureau again and did some training down in Chicago. Loved it, great trainer. But, the pay is not commensurate with the work! I turned it down! Man, did that feel good. Self care! I'm worth more than that! Crazy Hope! See you at Twins Fest I hope!

Marcus Royce's avatar

Awesome -- thank you for sharing this Paul! So good. Yep, see you soon!

E.L. Zeitgeist's avatar

Perfect timing on this one as I'm heading into what I could negatively dub "Rejection Season" (my husband and I apply to summer art shows during the holidays, and the invitation—and lack thereof— roll in over the next couple of months.) We've had some lucky breaks and we've had some heartbreakers. But you HAVE to pay to play. The feedback you received and the outlook you've embodied here are just the ticket!

Marcus Royce's avatar

Katie! Thank you for this!!! And all the best to you & your husband. I hope the "right" opportunities find you. (I write that and I'd say, ANY opportunity would be the right one!). Thanks for reading! Mark

E.L. Zeitgeist's avatar

You must be my lucky rabbit's foot, Marcus!! We got a HUGE invitation moments ago! It's an epic show in Denver that we've been applying to annually since 2013 (rejected every time). Again, you really do have to pay to play and keep trying. You never know when you'll find your audience!!

Marcus Royce's avatar

This is AMAZING news! Congrats! May more EPIC things happen to us this year!! :)

E.L. Zeitgeist's avatar

Yes!! We got this! Thank you for your positivity, Marcus! 💗

Jill Reeves's avatar

That car dealership should keep you and that woman as their ad campaign series; maybe even the guy knocking on the door. The three of you would make an amazing sitcom and I feel like they should keep that ball rolling. There’s just a great vibe there. It’s very funny and effective as are you.

Marcus Royce's avatar

Thank you Jill!!!! I appreciate that and will pass on your notes to the director.

Barbara Bressler McKee's avatar

I had a gut feeling you'd be writing about this today, and I'm so glad you did. What you said about reminding yourself that when you don't get picked for something it's not because of "not being good enough" but usually because of "not being the right choice" really resonated with me—especially regarding the books I authored. Just viewing rejection from this perspective makes it so much less personal and takes away a lot of the sting. Not getting what we want can often times be a greater teacher and motivator than "success;" it's all about the attitudes we embrace while trusting God's plan for us. Thank you for inspiring us once again. (And I love the truck commercial!!!)

Marcus Royce's avatar

Thank you for this Barbara!! And thank you for the order of the book & CDs -- Much appreciated!!

Thomas Johnson's avatar

Stephen King used to have a nail in the wall above his desk where he stuck all the rejection letters he got. He later said: "By the time I was fourteen the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.”

Gotta keep on keeping on!

Marcus Royce's avatar

Awesome story! Thank you Tom! Yes, I will!!