The Power of No: 5 Ways Rejection Can Propel You Forward

Rejection.

Some love it, but most hate it. In the words of Benedict Bridgerton, it’s all about your perspective. (Don’t hate me for the Bridgerton reference. lol). If you’re someone who suffers from constant rejection or you feel like you’re always taking Ls, congratulations! You’re a better person for it. And if you don’t think so, keep reading to find out why!

How to Change Your Mindset About Rejection

Simply shift your mindset! (that’s easier said than done, though). Check out a few of my favorite mindset shifts below to kickstart your journey.

Mindset Shift: Rejection Builds Character.

Ever heard of someone cracking under pressure? Ever witnessed someone who’s spoiled to the core because they’ve never had to do anything hard, like ever?

Now imagine how awful we’d be as a human race if everyone got every single thing they’ve ever wanted without any obstacles. We’d have no mental grit, we wouldn’t have thick skin, and we’d be spoiled rotten! Embrace the mud and scars you’ve gotten from your rejection, you’re becoming a better, stronger, and more well-rounded person because of it.

Mindset Shift: Rejection is a breeding ground for clarity.

True or false? Most of the things that you thought you’ve wanted, you found out later that you didn’t actually want them.

I’m going to assume you said TRUE! I believe that most of the time, we actually dodge bullets by being rejected. When the rejection is fresh, it doesn’t feel this way, but as you start to reflect and your eyes are opened to other possibilities, you’ll see that you were vibrating at a higher frequency all along, and you are meant for MORE! Keep going.

Mindset Shift: Rejection keeps your plate well-balanced.

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of saying YES to too many things.

Now, here’s a thought: If you got accepted, and then said YES to everything you’ve ever wanted, on top of saying YES to things that are coming your way, wouldn’t you feel a little burned out?

Now you understand why rejection in this sense is good? Welcome the rejection with open arms and the serendipitous outcomes that come along with it. In the end, things always seem to settle and work themselves out anyway.

Mindset Shift: Rejection leads you to your purpose and reason, and in the right season.

Have you heard of this: Everything happens for a reason and a season and is either a lesson or a blessing.

I’m a BIG believer that everything has a purpose and happens for a reason, and there’s a season for those things. Your rejection could be ushering you towards that purpose, reason, season, and even the people and places that you need in your life. Look for and pay attention to the signs that are already showing up in your life!

Mindset Shift: Rejection prepares you for what’s to come.

Ever heard the quote, you have to stay ready so you don’t have to get ready?

Maybe you’re in fact still in training mode and you’re not fully trained up to or ready for whatever you’ve been rejected from. Continue to prep and train, so that you can handle whatever life throws at you when you finally hear that YES!

How to Deal With Rejection

Once you shift your perspective, you need a toolkit to help you actively work on your relationship with rejection. Check out this video from TedEd to help you develop a rejection resiliency practice!

How to Build Resilience Against Rejection

Now that you’ve shifted your mindset, and built up your rejection toolkit, it’s time to take what you’ve learned for a test drive! I created the 14-Day Rejection Challenge. Think you have what it takes to finally handle rejection? Complete the challenge and then let me know what happens here!

I might be resilient sometimes, but trust me, it takes practice to love rejection. If after the challenge you still feel like you need more practice, try using some of the tools below!

• What I learned from 100 days of rejection: Jia Jiang adventures boldly into a territory so many of us fear: rejection in his Tedx talk.
  
• Rejection Resilience Assessment: An assessment to see how well you handle rejection and how you can become more rejection-proof.
  
• “100 Days of Rejection Therapy” Challenge: The original challenge that Jia Jiang created to desensitize himself to the pain and shame of rejection.

SOUND OFF: How are you embracing rejection? What opportunities have you gotten, because you’ve been rejected from something else? Let me know in the comments below.

WHAT’S NEXT? DIY YOUR DREAM LIFE & CAREER PATH

“Going Rogue” was once seen as negative, but today it means that you are displaying some degree of independence.

We’re living in a time where “going rogue” or defining your own path is widely accepted, and easier than ever. If this sounds like you, check out the “Operation: Going Rogue” Guide to help you get started!

FIND YOUR OWN PATH

This post is inspired by Taylor Offer’s Linkedin Post!