I cannot count the number of times I've been told "no". Not on one finger, not even on two, probably not even on my toes either. As a child growing up, I hated rejection! It made me feel shut out; almost like it was done on purpose just to get a negative reaction out of me, or make me feel like I was not good enough.

As I transitioned from a little girl to a teenager, then a young adult, I realized that rejection does not exist to make you feel bad about yourself, but instead to give you room and time to improve; hell even to realize that what you may think you want to happen may not be what is really meant for you.

I started applying for jobs at age 15. I did not actually get one until I was 18 going on 19; it was after my first full year of college. I ALWAYS applied, even went to locations and spoke to managers, that was not the issue. Their response to me was always "sorry we are not interested at this time" or no response at all. I am so thankful for my mother! She always taught me to never get discouraged, and just keep going until I got that golden "yes".

However, after so long of hearing "no", it's hard not to think about why no one wants you, or why your hard work isn't meeting up to their standards. It is hard to not feel like a failure when all you hear is "no", "no thanks", "maybe next time"...WHY NOT NOW?! Why can't things just be so easy and days run so smooth, that would be great!

Looking back on it, I am thankful for those "no's" and "not at this time". Why? Because it made me work even harder to get what I want. My persistence has increased tremendously and has stayed throughout the years because of rejection. Life is a huge obstacle course; rejection is one of those obstacles. You have to either fight through it or roll around feeling sorry for yourself. Which one will you choose?

P.S. Feeling sorry for yourself will not improve your situation, only keep you in it.