Summary
Rejection! This is almost the number one reason people don’t act on what they want. We dodge potential opportunities, so we don’t have to face this horrible feeling. But I want to have a better job! A better partner! Provide a better life for my kids! Yes, but I’m also….afraid of failing. This is the debate we go all the time. Failure is a strong rejection especially if we make it part of our identity. If I want to share my idea with someone, I don’t want to look unintelligent. Our fear of rejection all really comes down to the fear of LOOKING BAD in front of other people. However, the cost of fear is neglecting your own wants.
- Understand that every single experience is a learning experience.
- We only learn when we actively focus our minds on learning. - We can literally go through a traumatic experience and not learn anything, which means the same thing is going to happen again next time. Our experience is mainly dependent on what we focus on. We can feel the pain of rejection and work through it, but not trying to find life lessons from it. Life lessons allow us to grow to become wiser individuals in the future. Take the time to see that every rejection is a chance for you to learn: What to do or what not to do. Why caused this rejection to happen? What preparations can I do next time to make it better? Every we do this, we a get chance to be a little more amazing next time!
- A big or small step. Any step towards the right direction is a good step.
- You are not racing with anyone except yourself, but make sure you are finishing your own race. - I’m of the mindset that you need to define your path and walk towards it. If you are trying to be a great friend, define what makes a great friend and work towards it. However, this also means whatever steps you are taking away from your path is a bad step. Overcoming fear of rejection can be done by just focusing on your own path. It’s ok to be rejected, because you are taking steps forward in your own journey. JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was rejected 12 times before it was published, and now the Harry Potter series has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. Rejection is part of the progress to grow you as a person. It gives you strength. Small or big. Take that step.
- Not just beauty. Experience is also in the eye of the beholder.
- Choose to focus on the positive in an experience changes your relationship with rejection. - The common approach after a rejection is more like “I feel SO BAD about myself. I DON’T WANT to try again.” Or at least that’s what we said in our heads. Imagine a happy family picture. We can zoom in on the happy parents on the bench. We can examine the children playing tag of war. We can even just admire the amazing scenery in background. However, that’s not what we do in this case. We just keep pointing out the dirty trash bin on the side. That’s ALL we see! We even see it in High Definition. EVERY SINGLE piece of trash. That is our experience with rejection. There are so many good life lessons we can apply from a rejection, but we ignore everything except the bad aspects. So now….shift your focus to the positives. Embrace the valuable challenge of rejection. Create an amazing rejection experience for yourself!
