Reject Rejection

Rejection can be a real bummer.

You send in the job application. It's a no.

You apply for the internship. It's a no.

You ask for the raise. It's a no.

You compete for the promotion. It's a no.

You go for the interview. It's a no.

You apply for the loan. It's a no.

You bid on the house. It's a no.

You ask that person (who is soooo good-looking) out on a date. It's a no.

You submit your project for the prize. It's a no.

You submit your proposal. It's a no.

When rejection comes, it's totally normal and totally common for one to put a story with it. Usually, the story is something along the lines of, "well, the reason I got rejected is...." Some common examples include:

I don't have the right credentials.

I don't have the right experience.

I'm too fat.

I'm too old.

I don't know the right people.

They don't like my race, religion, gender, sexual orientation...

Somebody said something bad about me.

I wasn't confident enough.

I talked too much.

I talked too little.

I said the wrong thing.

They didn't like my clothes.

I sweated too much.

My face was too red.

I forgot to do whatever...

The stories are ENDLESS! But here's the thing: very likely, NONE of the stories are correct. It's just us guessing. The rejection could have happened for an infinite number of reasons. It's possible that you could have controlled it, but it's also possible that you couldn't.

In any case, the emotional energy you spend trying to figure out why you got rejected just costs you. Instead, if/when you get rejected - take the time to look at it as a data point. But, if you can, don't spend ONE IOTA of emotional energy worrying that you're not good enough or that you're somehow unworthy. You're not. 

You don't have to buy into stories that come with rejection. Easier said than done, of course. But just know: the next time you get a rejection - it's just an event, not cause for you to question your overall worth.

You're totally awesome. You have yet begun to reach your full god given potential. No single rejection is going to change that.