Learning the Art of Forgiving: January 2009 Archives

Fear of rejection also creeps into our professional life. When I set out to write my second book, this time on political leadership, I worked tirelessly, and to this day I can't think of a project I've been more proud of upon completion. Unfortunately, it was rejected--by no less than thirty-six publishers. At the time, I was worried not only about my chosen career, but also about my finances; how was I going to pay my bills if I couldn't succeed by writing? In the end, my choice to believe in myself paid off: the book was published by Stein & Day in the United States. While it was never a major financial success, it was well received, and it led down the road to my growing interest in politics.

Have your fears about money ever stopped you from pursuing your dreams? How can you be more fearless toward money by investing more in your goals and yourself?

--Arianna Huffington

One of my biggest fears as a young woman was not being liked by other people. Nowhere did this come into play more strongly than in my writing career: It took me many years not to take the criticism of others personally. When I published my fifth book, Picasso: Creator and Destroyer, in 1988, I discovered that I'd angered the entire art establishment: how dare I criticize Picasso as a man? The fact is that an unconventional, self-assured woman is often seen as antithetical to her feminine nature--particularly when it comes to taking on an icon such as Picasso.

Has there been a time in your professional life when you held back out of fear that your assertiveness would make you unlikable? If you use your voice fearlessly, what would you say?

--Arianna Huffington