diandra“No”

The word “no” is probably one of the most dreaded words that a person can ever hear. Just that one word is enough to make your heart sink . It’s enough to shatter your dreams to pieces. It’s enough to ruin all your plans.

You might hear “no” in a lot of situations in your life: an internship, college or job application; a negative response to a special request; or even a no from a family member or friend in response to something you really want. But as I’m sure you’ve heard, no means no.

“No” means rejection, and we all know how painful rejection can be. I would be lying if I said I haven’t cried before because of a simple rejection. For a lot of people, a rejection is taken personally and can seriously affect them. So what can you do? Here are a few reminders on how rejection, as much as we hate it, is just another fact of life.

Life Will Carry On

As much as people say that a rejection is “nothing personal,” we somehow usually take it personally. Your plan, your dream or your thought was rejected. It may not be personal to the one doing the rejecting, but it can definitely feel personal to you.

Take a moment and realize that rejection is a part of life. It might sting for now, but after time, the rejection will probably not matter anymore. Life goes on and you will forget about it. Keep looking forward and ask yourself what can you do now to help your situation.

A Moment to Reflect

Another way to view rejection is as a great learning experience. Ask yourself these questions: What can I learn from this rejection? How can I grow from it? What can I do to make my situation better?

Life is not a straight and linear path; it is filled with curves and setbacks. When you view rejection under a different light, there is a good chance you can learn from it.

Test the Uncertain

Rubber stamp "Rejected"If you do get rejected, that means that you, girl, have stepped out of your comfort zone! You have tested the uncertain, you have been rejected and you have the willpower to succeed. You have gathered enough courage to do something that makes you uncomfortable, and you have taken a risk. That shows how awesome you are.

Not everyone is ambitious enough to send a manuscript to a famous publisher. Not everyone is brave enough to send an application for a competitive internship program. Not everyone does it…but you did. In fact, there are many people who refrain from stepping outside their comfort zone in the name of “playing it safe.” I think it’s a good thing if you keep getting rejected. You continue to expand your comfort zone and you grow with every step you take on this ever-changing journey.

Everything Happens for a Reason

I truly believe in the old adage that everything happens for a reason. Those reasons may be unknown to you right now, but life definitely works in mysterious ways! If you get rejected, it probably means that something better will come to you in the future. It may take some time for everything to fall into place, but you will eventually learn why that rejection may be the best thing that could ever happen to you.

Keep looking forward. The brightest dawn always comes after the darkest dusk.

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