“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” – Judy Blume
Fear of rejection can negatively affect most aspects of one’s life. It’s so powerful that it discourages the achievement of goals and living a full life filled with happiness. It also has many consequences. Facing this fear is not easy, but it is necessary. Here are three tips for consideration as you work to overcome fear of rejection:
1. Don’t Take it Personally
Everyone has a different reason for saying no, and it could have absolutely nothing to do with you. Maybe you didn’t receive a job because the interviewer had a current employee in mind for the position. Or maybe a person at the bar (you finally mustered up the courage to approach) declined a date because they recently got out of a bad relationship. Not every opportunity you pursue is meant for you. Timing and compatibility are two things that are completely out of your control.
Being confident in your personality and capabilities is essential to facing rejection. You’ll be able to detach your self-worth from the opinions and acceptance of others. This could lead to your life flourishing in ways you didn’t know were possible.
2. Don’t Run, Stay Engaged
Often times when we face rejection the fear centers in our brain tell us to flee from the situation. However, as a reframe, welcome the feedback that rejection offers. Instead of running away and never looking back, if it’s appropriate, ask why. You may find that the feedback is constructive.
Jia Jiang, author and founder of Wuju Learning, has an amazing Ted Talk titled “What I learned from 100 days of rejection”. Jia outlines his experience with fearing rejection and how he overcame his fear. He also shares how he continues to inspire others to do the same.
3. Embrace Rejection
Rejection has a negative connotation, it’s viewed as a form of failure. Finding the lesson in every experience you faced rejection is very valuable. From every “no” there is an opportunity for self-growth, self-exploration, and self-improvement. It is important to understand rejection does not define you. Let your reaction to being rejected showcase who you are.
Think about the last time you were rejected. Now think about all the opportunities that came from that closed door. Celebrate your rejection because you stepped out of your comfort zone to get closer to achieving your goals. Staying positive and working hard will introduce you to new opportunities. Embracing rejection is truly a catalyst for your odyssey to self-fulfillment.
After reading this article, we hope your perspective of rejection has improved. It will take work, but eventually you can overcome your fear of rejection with focus. Remember, all of the award-winning coaches at the Ignite Your Potential Centers offer a complimentary 25-minute phone session to help you meet your life goals and career goals. We are the #1 career coaches in San Francisco and Los Angeles, let us show you how we earned that praise. We can’t wait to witness your pursuit of living a life without regrets.
