Everybody knows what's it like to feel unwanted. Even famous people have endured their own experiences of rejection. Take a look at these famous people listed below. They were rejected many times, yet didn't allow it to affect their lives. Instead, they grew stronger because of it!
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When he was a young writer, Walt Disney lost his job at a local newspaper because he ‘lacked creativity.'
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J.K. Rowling's manuscript of Harry Potter was turned down 12 times before it became one of the best-selling novels in modern history.
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Many restaurants declined buying Colonel Sanders' chicken recipe before Kentucky Fried Chicken became famous the world over.
Can you think of moments in your life when you have been turned down by someone? There is something about the experience of rejection that can help us grow as a person.
How Can Rejection Make Us Stronger?
Each of us has our own path in life, whether it be in our career or in our relationships. Rejection helps stimulate our personal growth because it opens the door to other opportunities, whether that be a new work position or a new relationship.
In the long run, it doesn't necessarily have to be an unfortunate event; it could actually be the road to bigger and better things. When we look back, often rejection events turn out to be crossroads in our lives that set us to better paths, in spite of the emotional pain at the time.
Rejection can pave the path for greater awareness – one that triggers our character strengths to manifest, and emotionally mature.
By defining the context of our current limitations, rejection becomes instrumental in helping us view ourselves objectively, to see ourselves the way we are. Imagine stepping outside of yourself, and seeing how others see you, or how you would see you. Once we realize that we can accept rejection as feedback, we can sit up and pay attention.
Rejection usually triggers the question ‘what did I do wrong? The pain that accompanies rejection opens the heart of understanding. The experience of rejection can be hurtful, that's for sure, but it forces the individual to critically evaluate themselves.
Rejection paves the way to acceptance through sorrow and humility, and in turn, makes you stronger.
People who have experienced rejection can overcome the lowest point of their lives with the right attitude. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years, before you can understand the reason behind any rejection experience, however, once you do, it will be the starting point of more emotional growth.
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Steps to Make You Accept Rejection and Be Stronger
Here are tips to help your experiences of rejection make you stronger.
Decode the Message
Rejection is a powerful message. What is the form of rejection telling you? No matter what type of rejection you have endured, it's always helpful to ask yourself questions. You can ask:
- Why did it happen?
- Is there something that needs to change or be improved?
- Is there something that I failed to see?
By giving yourself time to reflect and accept this rejection, you can finally move on. Perhaps you will decide to work on yourself. If you plan on self-improvement, you will develop greater inner strength.
Begin Personal Work for Positive Change
Discovering a deeper reason for any form of rejection is what helps you understand your own self. This helps you to write down the parts of you, that you want to improve. However, the application is a different matter. It may not be as easy as it seems. There are times when you may know what you want to do, but quite often there are strong emotions that can be crippling any progress.
You may need to involve your loved ones in your journey. Employing a positive attitude towards any experience of rejection can help you towards creating a better life for yourself. If you can accept rejection as a feedback mechanism, there will be less hurt, and you will feel stronger emotionally.
Let rejection be a positive part of your life and turn it into a strength you've never experienced before. The best of you is yet to come.
