"Thank you for your interest but... Our organization regrets to inform you..." These words are threaded with the sting of rejection. You know the rest of that letter or email will politely tell you that you have not been selected for the position or membership. Lately, I've been getting this message more often than I'd like. I won't go into detail about what specific organizations and positions I have applied for because that's not the purpose here. The only thing that matters is your reaction.

There are three ways that you can react to rejection:

1. Get angry
2. Feel defeated
3. Become better

The first two options are inevitable following a rejection for something you care about. We often become angry because we feel that our hard work is not paying off. The best thing for us to do is to allow ourselves to feel angry and defeated, but realize what we have accomplished. Simply putting yourself out there and pursuing opportunities makes you learn so much about yourself.

After recognizing what you gained from the experience, you have a choice to fly or to freeze. When you freeze, you let yourself get stuck in the feelings of not being good enough. These feelings will hinder your growth. When you choose to fly, you turn the seemingly bad result into a new opportunity. You take any criticism and use that to make you a stronger person.

The best opportunities often appear after being rejected from something else. If you keep seeking out new opportunities, then your "failure" will turn into a future success. Looking back, you'll see that everything happens for a reason. So next time you face rejection, just remember that an exciting opportunity is on the way. Stay positive and become better.