Rejecting Rejection

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- By Bruno Gideon

Have you ever felt the sting of rejection? Have your feathers been ruffled by someone’s word of criticism? What about unreturned phone calls – do they send you spiralling into a dark mood? If any of this is true of you, welcome to the club – the club called the human race. Many if not most of us take things personally when we don’t receive the kind words we were expecting. However, ninety percent of the time it turns out that the person on the other end of the “slight” had no hurtful intention whatsoever. It is our own thin skin that is causing the problem.

No one can reject me without my permission.
– Anonymous

The fear of rejection is worse than rejection itself.
– Nora Profit

Before lashing out in response to rejection, make sure you have your facts straight. Most of what we believe was a rejection was just harmless talk, well-intentioned criticism, or the result of a memory lapse. I learned this the hard way, mind you, but my strategy now is to wait a bit and let my frustration die down. Then I assume the very best of the other person and try to find out what happened and where things stand between us. Only if the situation repeats itself do I consider moving on from the relationship – a rare event indeed.

What about you? Is there anything you’re taking personally right now? Try rejecting rejection instead!

- Bruno Gideon