We Need Rejection and Failure

“Thank you for your interest in this position. However, we have decided”

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

“I’m sorry if I led you on but…”

“We regret to inform you that…”

“Sorry, but I can’t support your business”

Rejection comes in many forms. Maybe you were turned down for your dream job. Maybe you started your own company and service but you’re struggling to build a customer base. Maybe you finally put yourself out there, mustered up the courage to ask out someone you’re really into but they don’t reciprocate your feelings. In any case, there’s always somewhat of a sting. While we all may not respond in dramatic theatrics in our rejection stories, I rarely come across anyone who is completely numb to it.

I like to think of myself as an expert in handling rejection (maybe because I’ve been through all of the quotes listed above many times over). But this hasn’t always been the case. I used to avoid rejection and failure like a struggling millennial avoids checking their bank account. The say is “If at first, you don’t succeed: try, try again.”. My philosophy was more so: “If at first, you don’t succeed, let’s move on to something else because this is stupid”. Rather than trying to cultivate a skill, I went with whatever seemed like a ‘natural talent’. I only went after things…