What Can You Learn From Rejection?

Many people have never asked themselves that question before...

What CAN be learned from being rejected?

Too often following a rejection, a person can linger in the pain, reliving the moment(s) over and over again, searching fruitlessly for a way to make the pain stop, trying to wish it away or opting for a quick, often numbing fix, like alcohol, drugs, or other temporary, shallow relationships.

While this can be a human response to being rejected initially, there is nothing healthy about choosing, however subconsciously, to stay in the memory of the pain.?

Frequently this will lead to resentment and bitterness, keeping a person stuck with feelings of victimhood.

What is a better option, you ask?

According to LifeHack, "Most of the time, rejection can be a very positive thing if you look at it the right way.

I've said this often:? Perspective is a game-changer!?

There is always more than one way to look at things.

The late, great Wayne Dyer said it brilliantly:

"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at, change."

Here are some lessons you can learn from rejection (and shifting your perspective):

Rejection isn't always a terrible thing. We may perceive rejection in the same way we think of fire (because it does burn). Rejection, like fire, can either strengthen us or burn us to ashes. It is up to us to decide to learn from it and bounce back better.

Strength. Rejection might stop you in your tracks, but it gives you something to push against. People get stronger when forced to deal with the unexpected or the unfavorable, not when everything is going their way. In this manner, rejection aids us by demonstrating our true strength, resourcefulness, and capability when the chips are down.

Revaluation of one's self. Many people have a difficult time dealing with rejection. This is quite normal. Rejection can be an excruciatingly painful feeling. However, when someone hears the same feedback they've heard before, they are more likely to pay attention. One example of rejection is, "You have amazing abilities for this job, but you don't have the people skills."

A significant advantage of rejection that many people overlook is learning how to rebuild ourselves to be more goal-oriented, more people-oriented, or adjust elements of our personality to get along better with those around us.

"Evaluated experience is the best teacher."? ~John C. Maxwell

Patience. Rejection might be painful in some instances, but it can also be catastrophic in others. One of the most brutal rejections is not obtaining that job for which you spent a month sending resumes, emails, and faxes back and forth, since the bills and the banks don't care about your broken feelings. Nevertheless, that same rejection may benefit you by teaching you patience and perseverance.

Our 6th President shared this insight:? "Patience and Perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

Consider these two Ps to be the foundation upon which most successful people have built their lives.? You can too. How you rebound from rejection starts with how you choose to perceive your experience.

You do get to choose, you know.

Choice IS Your Superpower!?