For many people, there are few worse things than rejection or the threat of rejection. The fear of rejection can cause anxiety, depression, and the most relentless stress. It can stop us from going after what we want and what we deserve. It can keep us stuck for a season - or a lifetime. When you think about fear of rejection and what that might look like for you, I want you to consider what might drive your fear of rejection. What might the underlying causes be?   Some common causes of fear of rejection are: Past life events Past rejection or abandonment Past trauma Poor self-worth, self-esteem, sense of self Susceptibility to anxiety, self-criticism If you can identify where your fear of rejection stems from, it’s more likely you can talk your way through it and give it less power over you. For example, as a person who was abandoned by her father as a little girl and again as a 38-year-old woman & new mom, it is helpful for me to remind myself that my father was unable to show up for me for a myriad of reasons. Those reasons were his. They are not a reflection of my worth or my value. They are also not any indication of how others will treat me. In fact, every other human in my life has shown they are very capable of showing up and supporting me. When I talk myself through all this, I can see how I am very likely to be supported in my life no matter what I go after or if I screw up from time to time.  In this example, you can see where my fear of rejection might stem from as well as how I walk myself through it. You can see that in accepting my fear, labeling my fear, affirming my worth, and challenging my beliefs/past narratives, I’m able to walk my way right through this fear to a healthier place where I can show up for new things, hard things, big things, scary things - knowing that I don’t have to be perfect, get everything right, impress anyone or prove anything.   In this episode, I talk through 7 steps you can take to overcome the fear of rejection in order to show up for your life, go after what you want, and get all that you deserve.   Thank you to our sponsors this month: care.com: Get the help you need to make it all work for your family at care.com/book.  Hello Fresh: Get farm-fresh, pre-portioned meals delivered right to your door! Go to HelloFresh.com/shameless65 and use code shameless65 for 65% off plus free shipping! iHerb: Get your health in check with great products and great pricing. Get 22% off your first order when you use the code SHAMELESS at iherb.com.  Last Bottle Wines: Get 10% off your order when you use the code SHAMELESS at lastbottlewines.com. Luvbuglearning.com: Support your child’s social-emotional learning with the world's first social-emotional gaming platform. Go to Luvbuglearning.com and sign up for a 7-day free trial, or simply download from the APP store and subscribe. Peloton: Get access to a massive workout library and save up to $400 on Bike, Tread, and Row packages before April 2, 2023, at onepeloton.com. Ritual: Ritual’s Essential for Women 18+ is a multivitamin you can actually trust. Ritual is offering my listeners 10% off during your first 3 months. Visit ritual.com/shameless10 to start Ritual or add Essential for Women 18+ to your subscription today.   Rothys: For stylish, comfortable, sustainably made shoes, shop Rothy’s. Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/SHAMELESSMOM.  StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast!: Need another podcast in your parenting podcast library, check out StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast! wherever you listen to the SMA.  Train Her Game - Free Training: Moms of teen daughter athletes! Help your daughter build confidence and overcome negative mindsets in athletics by attending this free training offered by Breanne Smedley, Host of the Elite Competitor Podcast: https://trainhergame.com/shameless Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices