Have you ever made this observation? One of my favorite coaches, Gabby Bernstein, commented recently that, “Rejection is protection.” This reminded me of the idea that our yes’s and immersed within a sea of no’s. So often when we see a door close, we find on the other side that it was steering us towards something better. Have you ever made this observation? If you are not uncomfortable, you are not growing. The mindset of rejection is protection enables us to see rejection not as a failure or setback but rather as a form of guidance. Rather than seeing life as winning and losing, we can see it as winning and learning, while still making room for the emotional heaviness that can come from various forms of rejection. Today on the blog & podcast, let’s explore this idea of rejection and how to use it as a tool to foster personal growth.
“Rejection is Protection”
3 Practical Steps
#1 Reflect & Reassess
Take time to honor the emotional heaviness of your sadness, anger, or disappointment while processing your emotions and then ask yourself, “What can I learn from this experience? How can it help me grow?”
#2 Seek the Silver Lining
Use a positive mindset to seek opportunities within the rejection and ask yourself, “What is the new direction I can take?”
#3 Plan Your Next Steps
Get gritty with this action and plan your next steps. Say it out loud, write it down, and begin to see the possibilities that are opening up to you because of this rejection. Pen and paper help the neural connections in your brain even more than typing or simply thinking about these next steps and goals, so consider writing these steps down on paper. Ask yourself, “What could I do differently moving forward? Where are the opportunities in this experience?”
I think we are told “no” a lot more than we realize in our daily lives, but it's the big “no’s” that we find more devastating. If we see it all interconnected, this can take a little bit of the heaviness out of it and help us see it as reality. It’s not about dismissing the pain, but rather sitting with the anger, sadness, or disappointment while opening our minds and hearts up to the fact that there's something valuable on the other side of it.
Trust the journey. Trust yourself. Trust that you are being guided to where you need to be.
2 Books to Read to Practice “Rejection is Protection”
Book 1: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Book 2: Rising Strong by Brene Brown
Listen to the podcast episode below:
Thank you for listening in and reading along… I would love to hear your thoughts… Join the conversation & send me an email at elizabeth@integratedbeingllc.com. I look forward to connecting with you & going on this journey of life together.
xo, Lizzie