how to handle rejection

hi friends! I recently was having a bad afternoon where I felt really defeated and disappointed by rejection. I had spent a ton of time on a new work project proposal and was hopeful/excited about the opportunity and then…got rejected (after several weeks of no response – but that’s a different story 🙃). when we are told NO (whether it’s a job offer or promotion you didn’t get, a relationship that didn’t work out, a proposal or idea that was turned down, feeling left out in a social circle, etc.) it can be hard to not let it affect your entire day or self-worth. I’m personally a words of affirmation person, and rejection seems to sting extra hard. even when I rationally know my self-worth and identify aren’t tied to the rejection, it is sometimes reallllly hard to get out of the negative headspace and emotional spiral of ‘am I not good enough?’, ‘will I ever be good enough?’ etc. I asked for some advice on Instagram and was blown away by the really helpful, encouraging, kind, and wise words from friends and followers. I didn’t want to just keep all that goodness to myself, so decided to compile the advice into a quick blog post. ✨

so, here’s some reminders and ideas on to handle rejection. hope this is helpful and encouraging to you! 💛

Reminder: it’s not about you.

There is a huge amount of freedom that comes when you remember to take nothing personally. 💛
via Savannah, who was just voted Atlanta’s #1 interior designer 🏆

I have felt more rejection in my life than I can keep track of. I think rejection comes when we take risks and it’s inevitable. And because you’re a woman of breathtaking beauty, gifts, talents, passions and courage, risk-taking will always be a part of your life…which means also so will rejection. It has nothing to do with who you are or something you lack. It’s the opposite actually, it’s everything you have to give (which is A LOT) that opens the door to rejection. I think the more gold we have inside of us, the more susceptible to rejection we are.
via Gelly May

It’s just business and you can’t take it personally. Try to not overthink it and remember there will always be more clients and new opportunities.
via Jenny, co-founder of Daffodil Digital

Shift your perspective.

Perspective is everything. Ask yourself, is this REALLY important to me? Remember the big picture. Will this matter to me in a year? Take a deep breath and focus on what is really important — my family, Lucy, my health, etc.

Reframe the narrative, remove yourself from center, and see an alternative perspective. Most things and decisions have ZERO to do with me personally.
via  Christine

Find the good.

Remind yourself how many people have said YES to me – it makes the disappointment of NO easier.

Train your brain to pick up and throw away those thoughts and replace them with good ones. Actually picture in your head yourself throwing the thought away and picking up a different one.

Gratitude- I try and remember all the awesome sales we made and the customers who’ve had a great positive experience with us. Something might be a no for now, not forever – everything in life is timing! Your product or service might not be right for them at this exact moment in their lives, but it could be perfect in the future! via Kalina, founder of Hunter & June

Remind yourself – I AM AWESOME. I AM CAPABLE. Give yourself an extra boost of positive affirmations after rejection.

Reminder: it’s not the right thing/person/opportunity for you.

If the door doesn’t open, IT’S NOT YOUR DOOR!

I only want to work with clients who are genuinely excited to work with me. If they’re not excited about what I’m not doing, then it’s not a good fit. I don’t see it as rejection — I see it as dodging a bad client. The more it happens, the easier it gets to stay positive about it.
via Mady, founder of DigiSF

Not everything can be a yes.

If it wasn’t a fit for them, it’s not a true fit for me. Feeling like “not a good fit” for others can be difficult to swallow in the moment but it’s better to be clear on that vs. spending time on something that doesn’t serve you.
via Danielle, founder of Gal Collective

Let yourself be bummed for a bit, dust yourself off, and keep going.

Let yourself be bummed for a bit. Then hit pause, change gears, and shift focus. Do something good for yourself and remember the right thing will come.
via Tory., a Bay Area-based photographer and the person I text about everything work-related problem 😅

“Acknowledge and move on. For every rejection I get, I try to send out a new proposal.”

Drop the ego.