Handling rejections is one of the toughest things to handle in life. You may get rejected by your dream institution or dream job but you must learn not to give up. You must stand up and keep on going.
Rejections
Getting rejections is part of life. It’s hard for some to accept at first but slowly (and surely), we must learn to move forward. We feel sad, hurt and devastated upon hearing the words:
We apologize but we have seen a more competitive person fit for this. We are giving you a chance to still look for something that is more fit for your skills.
Moving forward after getting rejected is really a tough thing to do. From relationships, one may drown himself or herself in thoughts or in ice cream (literally). Sobbing over a past lover is the usual ammo in this kind. Crying and lamenting over it is usually the first thing we do when we want to step forward.
Flashback
With my senior high school class
Back in high school, the talk of where you will go to in college was one big roller coaster ride. Others seem to pursue their passion while others were consumed by the thought of profit or income. In addition to that, grades were somehow the basis of getting rewarded or punished.
As I have read a post on Amazing Daily Life, it mentioned having your foundations on a solid rock. Then and there, I realized that I may have been doing some things the other way around.
I was so in love with music all those years that I wanted to pursue it but with the influence of the people around me, I took a degree in business. They said that profit in the music department would be scarce. Lately, I realized that anything creative (either painting or music or so) in this country is not quite supported by most. Most would think that you’ll just become a struggling artist if you continue going that path. I agree on that statement.
Eventually, I rejected the idea of pursuing music for profit.
Current Events
I tried pursuing and courting my dream institution but in the end, I got rejected. I lamented for two (2) days, sobbing and crying my heart out. Then, I realized I wouldn’t want to get stuck in that abyss where all I feel is the negative things. See, hear and feel all those pessimism.
Struggles to pick one’s self up was there. It felt like a typhoon came over and blew up almost all the optimism that one had.
As people would usually say:
If one door closes, another one opens. And if that door does not open, maybe it’s the window.
I tweaked it a little bit to suit the current emotions.
Hence, I must strengthen myself up to face those battles.
Realizations and Other Thoughts
Here, I’ll be sharing my personal realizations about getting rejected:
- To be able to move forward, you should be able to accept your flaws (also mistakes) and work your way with it. We’re imperfect human beings and we can never be perfect.
- Once you have accepted your flaws, you should be thinking on how you can improve yourself and be a better person. You may even create a list to help you guide yourself into successfully making yourself better.
- Little by little, you are going to start moving forward. There are a lot of opportunities out there that is better than the one you wish for. Maybe, getting rejected is the way that the universe is telling us that that is not for you.
Basically, those are three (3) steps that I somehow figured would be worth sharing. These may not be applicable to most but surely, it could help you as well.
Well, I’m curious on how do you handle rejections?
16 Comments
ROBERT LEE
July 26, 2016 at 11:01 PMFirst of all, I would like to acknowledge the link to the post written by my niece, Gwendolyn. So… how do I handle rejections? EASY! There was never a rejection. See, if we think of a rejection as such, then it is a rejection. However, I see rejections from a different perspective. I see it as an opportunity to engage in something else far better, or to put my time to learning new skills or acquiring the mindset to reduce future rejections. LESSONS are learned on every rejection, my friend.
Nazrin Miah
July 26, 2016 at 11:39 PMI’ve been facing a lot of rejection recently, since I’ve been looking to start a new career and haven’t been having any luck with getting my foot into the door. You’re right in noting that once I am able to acknowledge what my flaws are I can start working on them. For me its the lack of experience, so I have to focus on that a little more.
http://www.shewillneverlose.com
Mica de Leon
July 27, 2016 at 12:12 AMI too have chosen a different path in college, instead of taking fashion design (which was my first choice written on the application form) I went for Multimedia Arts instead… Both still falls on the art department. Haha. I’ve always feared being rejected, but yeah, it’s part of life and whether we like it or not we’ll get rejected (not once, not even twice… a lot) in this lifetime. I agree in what you’ve said to just keep going on and moving forward. Just keep on pursuing the things you want and love.
❤ There’s More to Mica // http://www.micadeleon.com
Carola
July 27, 2016 at 1:23 AMI don’t experience it as having flaws or anything. Sometimes it fits sometimes it doesn’t. And even though for a job you might have the complete package and all the knowledge, there might be others who have that as well. And it’s not a flaw that you don’t get invited. I just do what I love and try to reach my goals. I’ve read a beautiful quote: “If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan. But never the goal.”
Sam Coronado (@followyouroad)
July 27, 2016 at 1:50 AMI think it really pays to be used to rejection as a child. Insert middle child syndrome story here. When nobody expects you to succeed, you’re so much freer to be who you are and to experiment. So sometimes I welcome failure as a chance to bounce back.
Carla Abanes
July 27, 2016 at 9:35 PMI loved the tweaked quote. We are always expecting and looking for doors. What if it was the window? We are always asking for signs. What if there is no sign is actually a sign?
Gwendolyn Ang
July 28, 2016 at 11:22 AMThank you so much for sharing your story with us! 🙂 I really like the three simple steps you gave. Sometimes, I get stuck on just accepting myself that I don’t realize the missed opportunities and my unfulfilled potential. What I’ve realized over the years is that when I get rejected, its probably because I am meant for something greater.
Liv
August 9, 2016 at 3:30 AMI think everyone has to deal with rejections in their life. Rejections are a part of your life. Sometimes it’s difficult to get back on track after a rejection or failure, but it’s important to use this experience to your benefit. i also think it’s important to stay true to yourself. You have to do what makes you happy and sometimes you will get rejected because you do not fit in a picture, hey their loss right? Great post btw.
Chardy Baldyosa
October 2, 2016 at 3:49 PMHi maria! This is amazing! I’ve also written a piece about rejection and I’m really glad a lot of people are actually noticing its pros and cons! Life is really unpredictable and no one gets to know what will happen in the end that is why we as humans who think and feel should happily accept whatever it is that would come, whether its favorable or not. Rejections are beautiful. It keeps us grounded and inspired. Much love! – Chardy
Dominic Barrios
October 9, 2016 at 3:03 PMHow should I handle rejections? That’s really a good question everyone should reflect on and learn from other’s responses. First of all, you should keep in mind that your value as a person does not rely on other people’s perceptions about you. You must be secure in yourself that you have pros and cons. Accept the fact that you can’t please everyone. And somewhere out there, there’s a perfect “something” that is meant for you.
Renissa Dawn Flores
October 14, 2016 at 1:06 AMHow do I handle rejections? Just like what you said, accept it and move on. The whole world is ours, we may be rejected at first but I usually think that whether it’s a job, a passion, lover, or whatever, if it’s not meant to be, it won’t happen. Yes, rejection hurts, but at the end of the day, I encourage myself to stand tall and believe that everything will work out for good. Rejections are also helpful 🙂
Mommy Anna
October 17, 2016 at 11:09 AMRejection is part of our lives, and I believe everyone will go through this in this stage. No body is perfect. Being rejected will make us stronger and be confident. There a lot of times that I feel rejected and I believe may mga darating pa din rejections but I am stronger to face it and God is always here to guide me.
Me-An Clemente
October 26, 2016 at 2:41 PMI agree with you that rejection is part of our lives and all of us can’t go through life without experiencing such. Thus, we really should learn how to handle it well. We truly should accept our flaws and improve ourselves. Well, in terms of blogging, we experienced rejection, but yes, we got a better opportunity after experiencing such. So yes, let’s all face positivity 🙂
R U S S
October 31, 2016 at 8:11 PMRejections can be tough & it’s human nature for people to feel bad when they get a NO for whatever reason. People tend to expect things even if they say they don’t. But really, it’s how we view rejections and how we move forward after facing one. What I do is, I give myself time to sulk to evaluate what happened & to see if something is wrong with me. After reflecting, that’s when I take action. I don’t like to dwell. My attitude is, if something is not for me then it probably isn’t – and so, life goes on.
Ana
November 28, 2016 at 8:19 PMOnce in a while, we encounter rejections in our life. One good example of this is when we are applying for a job. There were many times I got rejected. Most of the time, they will say they will just call but as what my mom told me, those are just euphemisms. Instead of saying they do not like me, they will just tell that they will call. I reflected on what was wrong. After that, I took up a course and finished it. I was able to land a good job after it. Because of it, I realize that rejections are sometimes ways for us to learn more about life. Whenever we face rejections, I think that it is a time that we need to reflect on things.
Swayam Tiwari
January 15, 2017 at 12:47 AMHi Maria, if one door closes, kick open a shut door. That is my philosophy in life. There are so many opportunities for all of us here. Rejections are opportunities dressed in sadness. Gandhiji was thrown out of the coach that he was travelling in South Africa, but he converted that “rejection” into a popular movement against the British.