Have you ever been rejected? What does this say about you? Does it say anything? What do you do if this happens to you? How do you bounce back?

Not the Right Fit

Rejection can come in many forms such as in relationships or with work. In this article, I will use work as an example. When someone doesn’t want you, such as a company, what does this say about you? It could just be that it’s not the right fit. Whether it’s not the right fit now or in general, the sign is to try again. It’s okay to feel butt-hurt and let it sting for a while. This is normal to have these feelings. You may feel that everyone must like you, want you, and need you. This is simply not the case. Realizing this fact sooner rather than later is crucial. Getting rejected is a sign to simply try again.

Trying Again

What does trying again actually mean? Let’s look at 2 examples.

1. Learning and re-applying
2. Trying something different

In the first example, we simply are taking their feedback and leveling up our skills. Feedback is key here. It’s key to listen to what they have to say, go back to the drawing board, and see if you can build your skills for the next time. The next time could be re-applying to the same job, or it could mean taking the knowledge elsewhere. The point is to take the feedback, digest it, learn from it, and hopefully do better the next go-around.

The second example is to try something different. A different approach is healthy. When you are getting rejected (especially if it’s repeated), your efforts are better suited elsewhere. Suppose you are an author and the only way for you to use a particular site is to be accepted by someone on staff. You send an e-mail and submit hoping to become an author for the site. You get it back and they say:

Hi,

Unfortunately, you were not accepted. You are not the author we are looking for.

Have a great day,

The Gatekeeper

You can take their feedback and be angry about it, or you can take it and do your own thing. If you’re being rejected by someone or something—move on ASAP. There’s no sense in waiting and trying to make a square peg fit in a round hole. If someone or something doesn’t want you, why would you try to make it work? It’s better for both parties to just go their separate ways. If they don’t want you, why would you want them? There are countless opportunities—and if you can’t find one, then make your own thing. This is a lot easier than seeking approval and acceptance of others. Can you really ever be rejected if you can always just start your own thing?

Go Your Own Way

Something about this approach really speaks to me. It’s when society says you’re no good—you must discover an alternative route. This could come in the form of building your own thing or just doing things your own way.

This is why listening is so key here. Rejection is totally okay and actually normal. We need to hear feedback from reality in order to course-correct. When we receive the message of “try again”, or “not just yet”, it’s perfectly normal to feel discouraged. This is all apart of being human. Humans are naturally resilient creatures. We can get knocked down so many times—the point is to keep getting back up. These are our learning lessons as we move forward.