Rejected

Yes, this is a new episode. And hey, I'm just as surprised as you are. So let me tell you why.It took me about a year to feel like I've nailed this story. And I'm still not entirely sure I have. It's hard to know when the story is so close to you. But, you know, at some point I guess you have to stop questioning and just get on with it. On the surface, this is a very common story. A married man wants to divorce his wife to be with the woman he loves. Easy. Yet, it was the exact opposite of that. Because the man ended up losing his job and serving a three year punishment as a direct consequence of his change of heart. His rejection resulted in him being rejected by the system. Something that can only be explained by the specific geography and timing of our plot: Communist Romania.The story is based on an interview I did with my dad in February 2017, back in Bucharest. It all came from a little story he told me over the previous Christmas, when we were playing The Confessions Game over maybe too much whiskey, which allowed him to open up and I guess me to be a more patient listener. It was the kind of story that made me go "you did what?!" enough times to want to know more.It's kind of hard to interview your parents about such things, especially when you don't really share an emotional language developed over years. And especially because I got the impression that he hasn't fully processed this story for himself. There's more to be dug there, and maybe one day I'll feel strong enough to ask the harder questions, like Jonathan Goldstein would.Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy the story as it is. There's so much crazy in it that I'm still in awe, despite knowing it inside out. Plus, this is my first try at narrating, and scoring a story to jazz - mostly thanks to the excellent songs I found. So working on it has been a proper challenge, and an absolute delight. Are you listening to it yet?Okay, I'm gonna stop talking, so you can... hear me talk some more. And I'll be back soon - well, in a couple of months. I'm taking a little break from publishing to work on Rejected the way people who don't hate themselves do. But don't feel bad. Use this break to check out some other podcasts, there's soooo much good stuff out there. We're all grown-ups here, we can love more podcasts at the same time. I won't be jealous. Nope. Not at all.MusicGipsy by Carl-Friedrich von Steegen (licensed)Kevin MacLeod - Dances and Dames (licensed)The theme song is She's a Rejecter by Of Montreal Please consider supporting Rejected on Patreon Hugs,Maria 

Hey, thanks for checking out this episode, I hope you like it ^_^Don't forget to check out the Rejected Hotline, I wanna hear your stories!Here's the song from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend that I referenced. Also, if you're not familiar with this show already, stop everything you're doing and go binge it now. I mean it.Listen to Rosie's podcast The Break-up MonologuesOr watch her TEDx talk based on her book hereAnd please give Paula a round of applause for the awesome illustrations she created for this showMusicThe song is My place by Mickey Blue (licensed)The theme song is She's a Rejecter by Of MontrealPS:If you'd like a copy of Rosie's book Is Monogamy Dead, send me an email with your story and address at therejectedpodcast@outlook.com and maybe you'll get a nice gift in the post. Because I'm nice, and you're worth it, listener.I'll be back next week with a bonus conversation with Luisa, the official Rejected Therapist (welcome, Luisa, we love you!). But until then, have a banging Valentine's Day.Maria XX

If you’ve ever been broken up with around Christmas, you know that it sucks. Big time. And if you’ve been on the other side of it, you know it doesn’t get easier either.But what is it about Christmas that makes us suddenly doubt our relationships? It must be serious, considering that December 11 is the year’s biggest day for break-ups, and half of the articles you see around this time are all about surviving a break-up over the Christmas break.To get to the bottom of this, I exchanged seats with the people who've seen it all: therapists. And you'll be hearing from not one, but three! June Brogan is the CEO of Relate West and Mid-Kent, and a relationship counsellor with over 15 years of experience. Luisa Hoque is an independent therapist who works with adults, couples and young people in London. And Monika McIntosh is a independent therapist who counsels couples and individuals at Bellenden Therapies in pretty Peckham.I hope you'll find these conversations as fun and insightful as I did. You’ll hear their theories on why Christmas puts an unprecedented pressure on our relationships, a few ideas on how to avoid falling into the same traps over and over, and loads of hope for the new year.Thank you for listening to Rejected this year, and see you again soon!Maria XX The song is Christmas All The Time by Explosive Ear Candy (thank you!) The theme song is She's a Rejecter by Of Montreal

Hi listeners, welcome to Rejected! And thank you for downloading this episode. Now let me tell you a bit about it.This is a great conversation to listen to regardless of what you do for a living. As I say on the podcast, everyone is creative. And when you pour your heart into creating something so personal, you expect some recognition. Fireworks. Applause? At least a statue. But things don't really work like that. And that rejection stings - for some even more than romantic rejection. I invited Rae and Craig, my creative directors from a previous agency, to talk to about the dynamic of the creative team: what happens when two people with different backgrounds and views put their heads together. How they learn to better reject each other's ideas, or how to signal when the way they've been rejected has actually hurt them. Or, even better, how to work together to reject something bigger... like the band Nickelback. And soooo much more.I hope you enjoy this episode. If you'd like to hear more interesting stories about rejection, please subscribe to the show.And if you'd like to give me a little fistbump everytime I release a new episode, head over to my Patreon page and find out how you can become a patron.Thanks again for listening, you are amazing. The song is Happy Day People by Pisces (thank you!) The theme song is She's a Rejecter by Of Montreal PS: If you're starting out in advertising and think I could be of any help, feel free to drop me a line at therejectedpodcast@outlook.com

Where do relationships go when they die? And what should we do with the feelings that remain? Come along on an exciting tour of the Museum of Broken Relationships with the founders, Olenka and Dražen, and listen to our debate about love, heartbreak and how culture shapes the way we respond to failed relationships.

What do your parents have to do with how you react to failure now? Could religion make us better at failing? Listen to a fun and captivating interview with Barney Whiter, lector at The School of Life in London.

Why are we so afraid to fail, and why do we so often let our failures define us? Hear what the founder of the Museum of Failure has to say about it in our fun interview from June. Museum tour included!

Tune in next week to listen to my interview with Samuel West at the Museum of Failure.

The best rejection stories are ridiculous. So here's an entire episode dedicated to the funniest, most absurd of rejections. Featuring Dan, the boyfriend, and Tash, the stand-up comedian with terrible taste in men.

Rejection is tough, no matter what side of it you're on. In part one, Jason tells a funny story about the challenge of dating again after a painful breakup. And in part two, I talk to a brave man whose broken heart sends him straight to the emergency room, and, as if that wasn’t enough, he then decides to make romantic rejection a daily challenge.

Listen to Ash's story of her first romantic rejection, followed by a very personal interview with a friend who rejected me a couple of years ago.

Welcome to Rejected, by Maria Nazdravan. This podcast will bring you stories of rejection from all over the world, in the hope that we become better at it. First episode: romantic rejection.