Dealing with rejection is a superpower!
I recently had a conversation with someone interested in exploring new opportunities. We were brainstorming and strategizing different avenues that are out there, and as we were talking, I sensed some reluctance. We got on the topic of rejection and the fear of rejection.
I truly believe that if you can overcome the fear of rejection, that’s a superpower. Try to put yourself out there without fear of rejection and handle it as it comes. Rejection isn’t fun in any form or at any level, so you won’t just plough through it without having any feelings around it. Give yourself time to process rejection; step back, learn from it and keep moving forward. As Rocky would say, that’s how winning is done!
With a background in sales, I’ve found this to be true. There are tons of wins in sales; it’s a great career, and there are fantastic opportunities. At the same time, sales is rejection. I always tell people that those in sales don’t get paid for the wins; they get paid for all the rejections they experience. After you make it through that rejection, you make it to the wins. Everybody wants to win, but can you get through the rejection and grind to get to the win? In my opinion, that’s what salespeople get paid to do.
I think this applies to every aspect of life. Opportunities will open if you can set aside your ego, explore new things, and deal with rejection. If you can get through it and deal with it, more wins await you on the other side. Try as many things as you can, whether at work or in your personal life. It could be something like asking someone out on a date. Why do we not do that? Do we fear rejection? Whatever it is, put aside your fear, and more opportunities will come your way.
Let’s all set a goal for 2024 to search for rejection. By doing so, you’ll put yourself out there to explore new things and new opportunities. If you do that enough, I think you’ll look back and find you had a really good year. I’m going to do it; I hope you do too!
