The cliche is that you should never take no for an answer, but recently I have been reconsidering this.

Sometimes it is good to hear someone tell you no or that you can't do something that you thought you could. While you should never limit yourself or think that you can't do something that you want, sometimes it is good to reconsider the way that you are approaching the end goal that you desire.

Hearing "no" is a rude wake up call. It comes in many different forms, it can come from yourself when you realize that your GPA isn't high enough to apply for your dream study abroad trip or when you don't get the position/role that you applied for. This can be incredibly discouraging and it might even wreck your confidence, but once you reach this pivotal moment you have to make a decision. Do you want to give up or do you want to keep trying?

Just because someone tells you that you can't do something, this doesn't mean that they're right. It might even be a good thing to hear this because I know that it is for me, it encourages me to work even harder. It is okay to reflect and think about If you are not approaching your goals in the most efficient way.

The hardest "no" I ever got was when I was deferred from early action to UGA.

I was devastated because this was my dream school. It constantly burned in the back of my head that I wasn't good enough. It was easy to think this, but I had to decide if this was what I really wanted. I decided to work twice as hard as I was before and got even more involved so I could talk about this once it was time to apply for regular decision. I obviously ended up getting in and that was such an important lesson for me to learn. It is okay if it takes you longer than what you expected, just as long as you are trying your best and doing it for yourself.

Ultimately, if you want it go get it and always do your best.