Nobody is immune to rejection, and it has an effect on everyone – even the most confident and talented people. When you take risks in life, you face the possibility that you might be shut down or might not make the cut. 

Different phases of life bring different opportunities and situations where we may be motivated to put ourselves out there and be vulnerable. Dating, high school sports tryouts, college applications, and job interviews are a few prime examples. There’s a reason you probably shudder at the thought of these experiences — they all come with a reasonable chance of rejection, and the odds are pretty good that you’ve experienced rejection already in one of these contexts.

So how can you properly handle rejection when it happens?

1. Be Honest

If you get rejected, acknowledge it to yourself. Don’t try to brush off the hurt or pretend it’s not painful. Instead of thinking “I shouldn’t feel this way,” think about how normal it is to feel like you do, given your situation.

2. Be Positive

When you’re dealing with a painful emotion like rejection, it’s easy to get caught up in the bad feeling. But dwelling on the negative stuff can feel like living the experience over and over again. Not only does it keep hurting, it becomes harder to get past the rejection. Be positive, always.

3. Keep Things In Perspective

Tell yourself: “OK, so I got rejected this time. Maybe next time, I’ll get a ‘yes'” or “Oh, well. This is what happened. I don’t like it. It’s not how I wanted things to work out. But everyone gets rejected — and I can try again.”

4. Use Rejection To Your Advantage

 A rejection is a chance to consider if there are things we can work on, but sometimes a rejection is a harsh reality check. But if you approach it right, it could help nudge you in a direction that turns out to be the perfect fit for your talents, personality, and all the really great things that make you who you are.

You Don’t Have To Handle Rejection On Your Own

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