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Make rejection work for you
Instead of trying to avoid rejection, you can make rejection work for you.
Be prepared to be rejected. Do not take a rejection personally. Rejection is part of the process. Instead of focussing on yourself, try and find out what is lacking. Be determined to improve.
As long as you have a dream, keep going. The result will be that you will create something even better.
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We do not like to take a chance and put in a great effort, only to be rejected. Yet, if you don't take up the opportunity for fear of rejection, you will never realise your dream.
Rejection is more the norm than the exception for authors. JK Rowling, James Joyce, George Orwell and John le Carré all suffered many rejections.
Even though rejection is seldom life-threatening, we always find it upsetting because of our interdependence. The more we value the approval and opinion of the person who's judging us, the more upset we'll be if they reject us.
RELATED IDEAS
Having a manuscript rejected by one publishing house is less devastating if that book is being considered at the same time somewhere else.
An unsuccessful job interview does not feel so bad if another one is scheduled for tomorrow.
- Build resilience. Remind yourself of your qualities and worth.
- Remind yourself of how much you are loved by having friends come over who value and care about you.
- It's not always about you. Think about what might be going on for the other person.
- People change their reactions based on your behavior toward them.
Find someone you can trust to serve as a sounding board can help you gain perspective.
For entrepreneurs, the word ‘Yes’ is an exception, not the rule. The small business landscape, where new startups are coming and going, it is common to hear rejection, with investors not interested in your product/service, or a potential customer shunning your product.
But when our goals and dreams are at stake, hearing the word ‘no’ actually hurts.