we’ve all been there at least once and if you have any kind of talent, drive or intelligence, you’ve been there multiple times. i’m talking about facing rejection. no one goes through life without being rejected. it hurts and it sucks, but it’s not the end of the world.
sometimes, rejection is the best thing that can ever happen to you. how many times have you written a paper in a rush and turned it in only to have it come back marked up in red? okay, that’s mostly for my fellow writers. but it applies to others as well. the red ink was proof that you didn’t submit your best. and let’s be honest, we should never be allowed to succeed without submitting our best. that means rejection is inevitable because we’re not always on our a game. life happens and priorities shift and time is spent elsewhere. no big deal.
the time rejection hurts the most though is when you poured your heart and soul into something or someone and it didn’t work out at all. now that’s pain. that’s the sucky part of rejection that makes you want to crawl into a dark hole with a bottle of red wine and drink until you pass out. no? just me? oh well. for the record i never drink until i pass out but the thought has certainly crossed my mind!
the awesome thing about rejection is it can truly make us better. we can accept it, learn from it and get back out there. some rejection is not a reflection of us or our talent. sometimes it’s someone else’s short-sidedness, lack of creativity, inability to think big or insecurities. in other words, it’s not always about you! being able to distinguish the difference can save you some major self-loathing and pity party sessions. look at me, say no to the pity party. nothing good can come of it!
if you’re currently dealing with rejection, let me just say you are in good company. check out this list of rejections from some pretty successful people!
Walt Disney – Fired from the Kansas City Star in 1919 because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”
JK Rowling – Rejected by dozens, including HarperCollins, when a small publisher in London took a chance on Harry Potter.
Oprah Winfey – Fired as an evening news reporter of Baltimore’s WJZ-TV because she couldn’t separate her emotions from her stories.
George Orwell – A publisher turned down his legendary novel, Animal Farm, with the words “It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA”.
Jerry Seinfeld – Didn’t find out he was cut from a minor role on a sitcom until he read the script and discovered his part missing.
Elvis Presley – After a performance in Nashville early in his career, he was told by a manager that he was better off driving trucks in Memphis (his previous job).
Steve Jobs – Fired from the company he started, Apple, but was desperately brought back in 1997 to save it. Apple is now the most valuable company in the world.
Stephen King – His first book, Carrie, was rejected thirty times. He nearly threw the book out when his wife saved it from the trash and encouraged him to keep trying.
Marilyn Monroe – At the start of her storied modeling and acting career, she was told she should consider becoming a secretary.
Abraham Lincoln – Demoted from Captain to Private during war, failed as a businessman, and lost several times as a political candidate before becoming President.
so, how does rejection feel now? share your rejection story and how you overcame it in the comments below!
I thought this a good subject to talk about since rejection is something that we are all dealing with in big or small ways. Ironically, when I saw your post on FB, my friend had posted this right below, so the universe is trying to teach a lesson to us right now!
http://twentytwowords.com/rejection-letters-to-superstars-early-in-their-careers-give-us-all-hope-9-pictures/
As for my story of rejection, where do I begin? I think I developed thick skin at an early age being the oldest in my family. I was never the prettiest, most popular, or even most…well, anything it seemed that was note worthy as a student/athlete growing up.
Ironically, the things that seemed to hold me down growing up in a small community were the things that propelled me forward when I finally graduated and ventured out on my own. Because I never saw myself as the prettiest girl, I would always make sure I talked to everyone and make sure they felt at ease, just as I wanted to feel. Ironically, this made me popular and I turned into quite the social butterfly, always connecting people together, making sure people were enjoying themselves.
As a result of never really feeling like I fit in growing up, I came into my own as I chose my own community, did the things I enjoyed, tried things that scared me, and faced rejection time and time again with a smile. A boyfriend of mine once commented that I was the most “resilient person he’d ever known!” I asked him why he said that and he said that as much as he saw me get rejected in certain ways, I never let it get me down.
I was surprised by his observation, but when I reflected on it, it didn’t mean certain things didn’t hurt my feelings or that I was upset when things didn’t go my way, but I just keep pushing forward, knocking on those doors, opening windows and letting the obstacles that seem overwhelming move out of the way.
Move forward courageously! Its the only way to go!
i absolutely love this martonne! thanks for sharing! i also felt like i never belonged growing up. i was a little too awkward, nerdy and odd for most people. i had friends because i was smart and a leader, plus i was super athletic, but i never felt comfortable in my own skin. it wasn’t until i moved to seattle and had to start over that i fully embraced my uniqueness and fell in love with who i was created to be. the rejection of my true self sucked but when i think about all the doors that opened after i started being exactly who God created me to be, i can’t help but laugh. that joy is so deep and so real because i’m so secure in who i’m meant to be! cheers to you sistah!