“We regret to inform you that…”

A phrase that announced my rejection; a phrase that drops my heart a little bit every time.

But also a phrase I’ve learned how to deal with.

Although I don’t exactly remember my “very first rejection,” I’m fairly positive that it made me feel like crap, and definitely fearful of the next rejection to come. It’s probably the thing that stopped the childhood me from confessing my feelings to my crush, and answering certain questions in class. Regardless, I still did apply to/try out for many other things- scholarships, leadership opportunities, organizations, companies, colleges -- and got rejected some more.

With every rejection, I expected to feel worse -- like I’m not talented enough, not smart enough, not good enough, not doing enough. Instead I’ve learned to look at it in the best way possible- as trite as this sounds, everything does happen for a reason (sometimes you just have to wait to see that). I’ve learned that there are so many more opportunities out there, and with each rejection, I am able to find those opportunities.

So if you’re letting the concept of rejection stop you from doing what you think may further your quality of life, stop that right now! Rejection is inevitable -- it’s bound to happen at some point (or many points), so why not just try. And, if you’re letting your rejection make you feel worthless, just remember that there’s another opportunity out there that is calling for your attention. In the end, whether you get rejected or accepted, you’re always going to get something out of the experience -- but what you get out of it is up to you.