How I Managed To Overcome the Fear Of Rejection

If I can do it, so can you.

We, humans, are wired to do anything we please but the constant fear of rejection can be detrimental and persuasive on so many levels that makes us step back instead of moving forwards. Everyone goes through such a thing from time to time but we miss out on so many opportunities by avoiding and fearing it continuously.

Everyone at some point in their life took a big risk. Whether it was asking for a job promotion from their boss, asking someone on a date, or even moving to a different area, you name it. Anyone who has gone through the ups and downs of life knows for certain that lots of times those risks don’t pay off. Most times, it can hurt. Other times those risks that come with a hefty chance of rejection, take you and your life somewhere extraordinary. It’s how the magic happens. That’s what we like to call “life”. It’s filled with unpredictability, and that’s what makes it unique.

But back to what I was saying: the fear of rejection is real. It’s not an illusion, it’s in the air that we breathe. I have gone through many instances of rejection in life. But I think it’s time that I made it clear that there’s nothing to be afraid of regarding rejection.

Below you will find a couple of ways I used to defeat rejection and completely erase the fear aspect out of my life.

I Focused More On The Pros, Rather Than The Cons

There’s more to gain than what you’re going for. Whether you get what you want, there will be other things you’ll get from trying. Know that like any fear, every time you confront it, the easier it will be to push through it next time. You’ll officially be braver, more resilient, smarter, and more ready for next time — and there will always a next time.

You should never feel bad about getting rejected. Instead, use it to your advantage. Use it to strive even stronger than before. Rejection is a mindset that many don’t understand and understimate.

Do you want to keep feeling bad about that “no”? Or do you want to move on with better things worth investing your time in?

Nothing is guaranteed in life. That’s why you need to keep it realistic to avoid falling into the rabbit hole and never getting out. Focus on what improved you and start from there.

I Let Fear Win (For A While)

Okay. Stay with me on this one. When deciding whether to take a risk, we spend our time between what it would be like to get what we want, and what it would be like to be rejected — but it’s all speculation.

What we don’t do is feel what it would be like not to take the chance at all. The force to move comes from fully experiencing what ‘is’. Decide not to take the risk. Decide to let go of what you want and spend some time fully experiencing what that’s like for you. Walk away, turn your back, and feel it. Feel it.

It’s very likely that if something is really important to you, deciding to walk away without fighting for it will feel bad. So bad that you’ll be motivated to take the chance because as bad as rejection might feel, giving up on something you want will feel worse.

I Took Many Hits

Rejection is part of life. The only way to avoid it is to live half-heartedly — and you’re meant for better than that. Risk always comes with the potential for happiness and the potential for heartache intertwined — it’s why it’s called a risk. When you open yourself up to reward, you’re also opening yourself up to rejection, but to shut down the risk of rejection is also to shut down the possibility of reward. Rejection won’t break you, but regret has a way of changing you forever.

A lesson to never forget is to never live your life with regret. Always take that chance, even it means getting rejected in the first place, because otherwise:

Do you want to live with regret?

Started To Redefine the Meaning of Rejection

Always remember that all your favorite musicians, novelists, and artists have been rejected at some point. When you get rejected, you probably assume it means something awful about you. But how do you feel about others who have experienced rejection? Try to see that experiencing rejection isn’t the same as being unlovable, worthless, or destined to be alone forever.

Rejection doesn’t have to carry that much weight — not if you don’t let it. It’s a challenge that many of us burden. But only to an extent.

Consciously practice thinking more about the positive consequences of why you got rejected. What opportunities can you now see that have been hiding behind the clouds of the status quo? Rejection can be a glorious unveiling of new possibilities that you can uncover if you’re willing to go that extra step to find for yourself.

Final Thoughts

Rejection doesn’t feel good. But letting the fear of rejection dictate what we accomplish in our lives can make us feel even worse in the future. After all, no pain equals no gain.