Rejection is the name of the game!

Whether you'd like to be a famous actor, or TV presenter, or supermodel... along the route to achieving success, you will be rejected many times. The harder you fight, and the bigger your dreams, the more the rejections.

At varsity I was told by a lecturer that I could never work in TV (I specialized in radio & newspaper journalism), however in September this year I will have worked for 5 years in television, learning everything there is to know about producing exciting TV shows!

I was often laughed at for having a lot of pimples at school and looking extremely unattractive. When I was 16, I traveled to Europe with 49 other scholars as part of a tour similar to those organised by 'Contiki.'

My dream trip to some of Europe's most beautiful cities turned really lonely & horrible when my face decided to become a badly mashed-up pizza and I experienced the worst case of acne!

I was thrown with snow balls in Switzerland for being the 'loser' of the group (just because I was too scared to speak to anyone due to my facial appearance). In Austria the entire contents of my travel bag was sprayed with shaving cream and condoms filled with toothpaste. Yeah, it was easy to make fun of me, since everyone joined in. I don't remember a single person that actually spoke to me without being set-up by someone else to ask a derogatory question. Playing practical jokes on a fellow classmate and having a fun time seem like regular activities for teenagers. But when you are being told how "ugly" you look and how "pathetic" you are (simply for appearing weak and out of place), then jokes start to burn deep inside your heart.

I have never hated a group of people so much as this group. But today, I know that it's also realistic to understand where they were coming from. I forgive them for being silly teenagers. Perhaps, if I was one of the good-looking, 'buff', jocks I'd also have joked with the 'ugly' weak- link in the group. But today I realise, this trip taught me never to call someone ugly, or be mean to someone that's not as strong, or good-looking, or successful, as me. It is something my parents taught me - never ever think that you're better than someone else. The moment you do, your weakness will show.

Being rejected like this, will probably happen again. And it has. Sometimes people tell me that I'm not as good-looking as someone else, yeah, so what. I have qualities that someone else can't ever boast about. Life is hard when you feel weak inside your heart, because you compare yourself to others. This is my challenge. My story. I have to ensure that the good parts are also written, but without my strong will, determination, perseverance, and love in my heart for loving myself and my life, nothing good will ever come of it.

Stay strong. Be yourself.

Pic: Doing something I really loved at varsity - presenting a music radio show (on Rhodes Music Radio, 2000 - 2003).