Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner, once said in an interview that, after college, he decided he wanted to work for the NFL, so he pursued that course… but was rejected by them 50 times. “I handle rejection well," he said. “I stuck with it. I think in the end, they got tired of getting my letters.”
He’s not alone. Elvis Presley’s 8th grade teacher told him he didn’t have an aptitude for singing. Yet Elvis, later known to all as ‘The King of Rock and Roll’, achieved legendary musical and vocal success.
Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Sally Jessy Raphael was fired 18 times over a 30-year career. “I could have let those 18 firings prevent me from doing what I wanted,” she said in a Reader’s Digest article. “Instead, I let them spur me on.”
Rejection. Does it stop you in your track or spur you on. Only a small minority has the grit and tenacity to overcome repeated rejection. And that’s a good minority to be in because they become the success stories of life.
Theodor Geisel, an unknown author, was rejected by 27 publishers for his first children’s book, but he pressed on. #28 took a chance. That book -- written by the man we came to know as Dr. Seuss -- sold 6 million copies. Oh by the way, he went on to write 44 books in total, translated into 15 languages that sold more than 200 million copies.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s childhood dream was to attend West Point. He applied, but was rejected twice. He didn’t quit, and was accepted on his third attempt.
Hard to put it any better than Walt Disney himself: “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
Elite soccer star David Beckham got his teeth-kick at age 13 when told by a coach that he’d never play for England because he was too small and not strong enough. That rejection strengthened Beckham’s resolve… he not only played for England, but was 6-time team captain, earned global popularity, and became the face of soccer worldwide.
ACTIONS FOR YOU
Here’s the best 3-step medicine for rejection:
(1) Ignore it. Inwardly laugh in the face of it.
(2) Use it as an adrenaline stimulant to push yourself forward. It’s rocket fuel.
(3) Resolve to prove the rejecters wrong. Grit your teeth, clench your fist, and inwardly tell yourself: “Oh yeah? I’ll show you.”
That’s what Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks did when, as a kid, his instructor sent him to the back of the class because he couldn’t keep up. Blanks used his anger productively, becoming the first in his class to earn a black belt, followed by black belts in 6 different martial arts disciplines and 7 world karate championships.
Treat rejection as your friend, your inspiration, your accelerant. These winners did. You can too.
He’s not alone. Elvis Presley’s 8th grade teacher told him he didn’t have an aptitude for singing. Yet Elvis, later known to all as ‘The King of Rock and Roll’, achieved legendary musical and vocal success.
Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Sally Jessy Raphael was fired 18 times over a 30-year career. “I could have let those 18 firings prevent me from doing what I wanted,” she said in a Reader’s Digest article. “Instead, I let them spur me on.”
Rejection. Does it stop you in your track or spur you on. Only a small minority has the grit and tenacity to overcome repeated rejection. And that’s a good minority to be in because they become the success stories of life.
Theodor Geisel, an unknown author, was rejected by 27 publishers for his first children’s book, but he pressed on. #28 took a chance. That book -- written by the man we came to know as Dr. Seuss -- sold 6 million copies. Oh by the way, he went on to write 44 books in total, translated into 15 languages that sold more than 200 million copies.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s childhood dream was to attend West Point. He applied, but was rejected twice. He didn’t quit, and was accepted on his third attempt.
Hard to put it any better than Walt Disney himself: “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
Elite soccer star David Beckham got his teeth-kick at age 13 when told by a coach that he’d never play for England because he was too small and not strong enough. That rejection strengthened Beckham’s resolve… he not only played for England, but was 6-time team captain, earned global popularity, and became the face of soccer worldwide.
ACTIONS FOR YOU
Here’s the best 3-step medicine for rejection:
(1) Ignore it. Inwardly laugh in the face of it.
(2) Use it as an adrenaline stimulant to push yourself forward. It’s rocket fuel.
(3) Resolve to prove the rejecters wrong. Grit your teeth, clench your fist, and inwardly tell yourself: “Oh yeah? I’ll show you.”
That’s what Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks did when, as a kid, his instructor sent him to the back of the class because he couldn’t keep up. Blanks used his anger productively, becoming the first in his class to earn a black belt, followed by black belts in 6 different martial arts disciplines and 7 world karate championships.
Treat rejection as your friend, your inspiration, your accelerant. These winners did. You can too.