There are seasons in life when it feels like every door you knock on stays shut. For single moms, those seasons can feel especially heavy. You’re doing everything you know how to do—showing up for your children, managing responsibilities, trying to heal, attempting to grow—yet rejection, frustration and disappointment seem to meet you at every turn. If you’ve ever thought, “Why does it feel like nothing is working for me?” or “Why does it seem like everyone else is moving forward while I’m stuck?”—you are not alone. This week’s motivational message by Dr. Ameela Boyd, founder of Healing by Desizns, reminds us how single moms keep going, even when they feel exhausted by closed doors.  Every Monday, we upload a new message to our website and hotline. You can call the number 24/7 to hear an inspirational message to start your week.

When Rejection Feels Personal

Rejection has a way of creeping into every part of life. It shows up as:

After a while, rejection stops feeling circumstantial and starts feeling personal. You may begin questioning your worth, your decisions, or whether you’re “good enough” to achieve the life you envision for yourself and your children.

But here’s the truth many single moms need to hear: rejection is an experience, not an identity.

Your Feelings Are Valid—but They Are Not the Final Authority

It’s important to say this clearly:
Your feelings of frustration, sadness, anger, grief, and exhaustion are real and valid.

Pretending everything is fine doesn’t help. Suppressing emotions doesn’t make them disappear. But while your feelings deserve acknowledgment, they do not get to define who you are or where you’re going.

Feelings are information—not instructions.

You can feel discouraged and still be destined for something greater. You can feel stuck and still be in motion.

Why Closed Doors Hurt Single Moms Differently

Single mothers often carry a unique emotional weight. When doors close, it’s not just about you—it’s about your children, your stability, your future, and your sense of safety.

You may feel like:

  • Every decision carries higher stakes

  • Failure isn’t an option—but feels unavoidable

  • There’s no room to rest or regroup

This pressure can make rejection feel like proof that you’re failing, even when you’re not.

But survival seasons don’t mean you’re off track—they often mean you’re being refined.

When Everything You Touch Feels Like It’s Turning to Stone

There are moments when it feels like you’re doing all the “right” things, yet nothing is yielding results. You may be praying, planning, pivoting, learning, healing—and still not seeing your “rainbow at the end of the tunnel.”

This is often the moment when self-doubt becomes loud.

You might wonder:

  • Am I missing something?

  • Is there something wrong with me?

  • Why does it feel like the world has given up on me?

But just because outcomes aren’t visible yet doesn’t mean your efforts are wasted.

Growth often happens underground before it ever shows up above ground.

If You’re Still Here, Your Story Isn’t Over

Here is a grounding truth worth holding onto:
If you are alive today, there is still purpose attached to your life.

Single motherhood does not disqualify you from joy, success, love, or fulfillment. Being tired doesn’t mean you’re defeated. Being uncertain doesn’t mean you’re off course.

Sometimes the fact that you’re still standing—still trying, still caring, still loving—is evidence that you are stronger than you realize.

Walking in Authority When You Feel Powerless

When life feels chaotic, it’s easy to forget that you still have agency.

You have:

  • Authority over how you speak to yourself

  • Authority over what you allow to define you

  • Authority to take the next right step, even if it’s small

Mountains don’t always move instantly—but they do move when persistence meets purpose.

Walking in your authority doesn’t mean pretending everything is okay. It means choosing not to let hardship have the final word.

Your Struggles Are Not Separate From Your Purpose

One of the most painful lies rejection tells is that your struggles are proof you’re not meant for more.

In reality, many single moms discover that their deepest struggles are embedded in their purpose.

The resilience you’re building.
The empathy you’re developing.
The strength your children are witnessing.

These things don’t disappear. They shape who you are becoming.

What feels like delay may actually be preparation.

Practical Ways Single Moms Can Keep Going

When doors keep closing, here are a few grounding practices that can help you keep moving forward:

1. Separate Your Worth From Your Outcomes

You are valuable even when things don’t work out. Rejection does not reduce your worth.

2. Name What You’re Feeling Without Shame

Journaling, prayer, or talking with a trusted support system can help you process instead of internalize disappointment.

3. Focus on What You Can Control

You may not control timing or outcomes—but you can control effort, boundaries, and self-compassion.

4. Lean Into Community

Isolation makes rejection louder. Community reminds you that you are seen and supported.

5. Take Rest Seriously

Rest is not a reward—it’s a necessity. Burnout won’t open doors faster.

You Are Not Defined by This Season

This season—no matter how heavy—does not get to define you.

You are:

  • More than your setbacks

  • More than your current circumstances

  • More than the doors that didn’t open

You are a single mother with strength, vision, and purpose still unfolding.

And even when it feels like everything is falling apart, you are still being held together by something greater than what you can see.

Final Encouragement for the Single Mom Who’s Tired of Trying

If you’re reading this while feeling discouraged, exhausted, or unseen—let this be your reminder:

You are not done.
Your story is still being written.
Greatness is still inside you.

Keep going—not because it’s easy, but because you are designed to overcome.

And one day, the doors that stayed closed will make sense—not as punishment, but as protection and redirection.

You are not just surviving.
You are becoming.