Dealing with Rejection: How A No Leads You Closer To A Yes!

Have you ever had the experience of putting yourself out on there on the line, risking it all for your dream of what you really want- only to get the answer back that it is a “NO”? If you are anything like me you have probably experienced at least twenty of these “no’s” for every “yes” that has happened in your life. Whether it is in our careers or our relationships with others, rejection can really hurt us on all levels. Nobody enjoys being told “no” for an answer. It is amazing how many of my decisions in life have been a dance around avoiding the experience of this two-letter combination in the alphabet N-O! The words NO have scared me and made me seize up at times only to realize that in the end this answer was a gift. 

I have spent most of my life pursuing my dream of being a musician and a motivational speaker. It is a tough, competitive business and almost everyday I experience rejection when I put myself out there for opportunities. Just last week I was hit with a difficult “NO” after submitting my band, Keith and Renee to be featured on a music website that showcases up and coming artists. When I received the email rejection it brought me right back to the first time I ever got a rejection email when I was in the eighth grade. I used to make cassette tape demo recordings in my bedroom when I was a kid and then I would go to the library and research record label contacts to send my demo’s to. I would send the demo’s off to labels in hopes that a magical record deal would come rolling down the pipeline and I would be the next Paul McCartney. Well- much to my surprise (at the time) I received my rejection letter from MCA Records and was devastated. The mix of emotions and questions flooded in- How could they reject me? What’s wrong with me? They must have made a mistake! 

On this theme of rejection, have you ever fallen madly in love with the idea of dating someone, mustered up all the courage to put yourself out there on the line and ask them out- only to be given a rejection? This hurts! This feels so unfair! There must have been a mix up in the plan! It leaves one wondering, why is this happening to me!? 

So the question is- Why does rejection happen to me and how do I deal with rejection whether it is in my career or my relations with others? I have come to realize that the words NO can actual be an incredible gift. In fact, I have come to see that NO is actually leading me closer to the YES I have been looking for! Perhaps if the NO I just experienced was a YES, I would be steered down the wrong path and led away from what I actually wanted in the first place. I believe there is a bigger plan. I have come to realize that when we are given a NO in life it is actually a gift that is leading us closer towards the YES we are wanting. I have learned that I can’t fail. Every situation is going to simply produce a result and even if that situation turns out to be a NO- I am one step closer to a YES then I was before the rejection. Is it possible to change your mind here, dream a new dream around the words NO and open up to the possibility that NO is actually leading you towards a a better version of YES then you would have had otherwise? So what are you waiting for? Why not take that scary step and get your answer? Whether it is a NO or a YES- you have nothing you need to worry about anymore! You will get the information you need to continue on the journey towards your life purpose. After all- life is but a dream! Consider that a NO is a sign that a YES is just around the corner.