Losing a job, heartbreak, sickness—we’ve all dealt with them. And each time, we may be tempted to feel like failures, even if the situation was out of our control. Everyone faces failure multiple times over the course of their lives. It’s a natural part of human progression. So what can we do to not let it get to us and still come out on top? Here are 5 ways to deal with so-called “failure” and move on:
Keep a clear perspective. Everyone faces rejection. When we are rejected, we feel like we have failed. This is the utterly wrong perspective to have since there can be a wide array of reasons why we didn’t “win” whatever we were working for. Maybe you were actually overqualified for that job you wanted? Or maybe your love interest already had someone else in their sight before he or she met you? Despite your good eating habits, maybe you had the bad luck to inherit the disposition to get diabetes?
You’re not the only one. When you get it into your head that you are alone in your suffering, that is when you really are alone. There is no challenge or rejection that you face that hasn’t been felt in some way by someone else. Once you are able to accept that others have faced this kind of rejection, it can actual relieve some of your own feelings. Misery loves company, so when you realize others have been miserable just like you, it makes you not feel so badly about your own troubles.
The future is hopeful. One rejection doesn’t mean the end of the world—nor does one hundred or even one thousand rejections. Did you know that Steve Jobs was a college dropout, was fired from Apple, the a multi-billion dollar company he founded in his garage, for a time, and was even diagnosed later in life with cancer? All of these rejections could easily be perceived as failures, although no one would question his ultimate success in life. J.K. Rowling was broke and nearly homeless when she started writing the Harry Potter series.
Just let it happen. You can’t avoid failure. There is always someone out there who can do something better than you can. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t valuable. You just need to find the right setting to use your talents. And what’s more, timing is extremely important, clichés even tell us that “timing is everything”. Just because you happened to apply for that job when an inordinate amount of unemployed job seekers also chose to apply, doesn’t mean that if you apply again the next year you won’t be the most outstanding candidate. Most often, rejections aren’t a rejection of you personally, but of the circumstances in which you presently find yourself.
It’ll all work out in the end. What more is there to say about this one? It’s pretty self-explanatory.
Rejection, and thus feeling like a failure, is never easy to face. But that’s exactly the point. Failure is a feeling. If you can control your own perspective on the matter, then one rejection won’t mean a thing to you. In fact, it will inspire you to work harder and do better next time. Don’t let repeated rejections deter you. The more you apply yourself to overcoming a rejection or rejections, the higher your probability of having one of those attempts one day becoming an acceptance instead.
About the Author
Natalie Clive is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them search for online degrees that can help them reach their goals.