In almost everything you do, there is a potential for failure. If you’re somewhat of a perfectionist like I am, then this is a scary thought. Why put effort into to something you might possibly fail at. Why take that risk at all? Well, if you don’t take risks in life, you might never succeed. Rejection and negativity affect us all in different ways, and we all have different ways of dealing with it. However, I have a few tips and tricks that I use when dealing with negativity and rejection in my life.

The first thing I do when dealing with just rejection is having a grieving period. Having a period to cry, scream, throw things, or do whatever you need to do to get all your emotion out. Having a good cry is probably one of the more therapeutic things I’ve done when dealing with rejections, so it’s always a great idea to have some time to feel bad about it. So, just have a good cry. Scream a little. It makes you feel a little less heavy, and a little closer towards feeling OK.

The second thing I do is put the rejection to rest. Once you get the rejection, it’s over. It’s done. Whether it’s a college rejection, not getting a job or promotion, or even a bad breakup, put it to bad. It’s not going to help you dwelling on the situation for a long period of time, and it’ll be even worse when you’re trying to move on. This may be easier said than done, but it is a crucial first step on the road to a healthy mindset. So, acknowledge that the rejection happened, but don’t let it control the rest of the decisions you make.

The last thing I do is let the rejection fuel whatever goal I’m trying to achieve next. You’ve grieved over it, and you’ve put it to rest, so now let it encourage you to do better in the next venture. Sometimes, when we realized we’ve failed, we never want to try again. We never want to do better because we feel bitter and defeated like we can’t achieve that goal again. However, instead of letting rejection rule your life and make your decisions, you can let it inspire you, and let it make you a better person. The phrase “we learn from our mistakes” is actually very accurate: we can’t learn anything unless we make a mistake trying. So, get out there and try try again!

I know rejection is difficult. If I’m being completely honest, there is a time where rejection and negativity ruled my life. It made me a bitter, incomplete person, and I wasn’t happy with who I was, and who I had become. However, after talking to many people, and after many long-winded rants, I realized I didn’t want to become this negative person who took failure as the biggest blow of her life. I wanted my rejections and failures to mean something, to encourage my other goals, and to inspire myself to be a better person. Rejection isn’t something to take lightly, but it shouldn’t trap you in a vicious cycle of negativity. Let rejection fuel your positive, and fuel your happy, productive, and motivated self!