As Lance Armstrong once said, “A boo is a lot louder than a cheer.” From relationships to internships, rejections are common and often difficult to brush off. However, dwelling on what could have been rather than what could be is a huge mistake many students make and often result in more dead ends. Here are a few tips to help you positively overcome, and even grow from, rejections from every aspect of your life:
Realize that everyone experiences rejection.
J.K. Rowling, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Mark Cuban, Steven Spielberg. You probably recognize most of these names because they’re individuals who are considered incredibly successful within our society. What you might not know is that these individuals all had to overcome huge obstacles in order to get to where they are now. Whether it was rejection from publishers or being labeled as a failure by society, these individuals barreled headfirst through their rejections to get to the top.
Even within your social circle, that girl or guy who always seems to win every scholarship and has the best luck with dating? Even they experience rejection, although though they may not openly admit it. Social media doesn’t help. Media platforms like Facebook and Twitter make it appear as though everyone around you is experiencing success while you struggle alone. The truth is, who’s going to advertise their failures and hardships to all of their friends? Nobody. That’s why our newsfeeds are always crowded with statuses about accomplishments rather than rejections.
Be gracious.
The worst thing you can do after a rejection is to drown in self-pity and bring down the success of other people around you. It reflects negatively upon yourself when you behave in this manner. Instead, take a few hours or days alone to work through the emotions you have and emerge feeling positive and revitalized. Remember, the success of others doesn’t equate to your failure.
If you receive a rejection email from human resources, send a polite response thanking them for their time. If the girl you’ve been flirting with decides to date another guy, don’t bash her and give her a hard time. Be understanding that maybe you weren’t her type and it’s better she rejected you now than later.
Learn from your rejection.
Instead of taking every rejection as an insult to your personality and abilities, take a step back and try to think about why you were rejected. Yes, sometimes you are the best option and your rejection is pure bad luck or bad timing. Most of the time though, there’s a reason as to why that guy you were texting suddenly stopped responding or why the hiring manager decided to go with another job candidate. Use this as an opportunity to improve yourself and learn from your mistakes. Ask people you trust, who you know can give an unbiased opinion, what aspect of yourself you could improve. This could be anyone from a family member to a professor.
We all know rejections are unpleasant experiences. However, every individual has the power to conquer each one with a positive attitude and come out on the other side as a winner.
