Regardless of your age, no one likes the sound of the infamous two-letter word NO. It’s a word that brings on feelings of rejection and denial. And as small as the word is, it often leaves a huge impact on the individual that it’s being directed towards.
The word no is not biased and doesn’t care if you have a million dollars or one dollar left in your bank account. It’s one of those words that will inevitably be said and contrary to popular belief, it is necessary.
I’ve had instances where I was turned down for jobs because I was either overqualified, or underqualified. I’ve been turned down and overlooked for promotions, relationships and various opportunities. And at the time I thought it was so unfair and the only yes I received was the RSVP to my own party of self-pity.
I didn’t understand then and sometimes I still don’t understand why things don’t go the way I think they should. I often wonder where I would be today if everyone said yes to what I thought I deserved. The truth of the matter is I would not be here today because I would not have learned how to endure hard times and be creative during difficult situations. I would not be as resilient or as sympathetic to others.
So I’m thankful for the times that people have told me “no”. Because it caused me to search deep within myself and figure out how to get things done with what I had.
Vera Wang (fashion designer icon), Opera Winfrey, J.K. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series) were told no and faced various oppositions before becoming successful, so what makes us any different? They overcame their rejections and so can we.
In the comments box below, give a few examples of times when you were told no. How did you respond to it? How did it impact your view on life and yourself?