I’ve heard it all:
“You’ll never make it…”
“We regret to inform you…”
“I’m just not interested…”
“You shouldn't try so hard…”
And I’ve carried it all with me like a badge of honor. Why? Because fairly early on in my career, I discovered two pretty big secrets about success: one, rejection is one of the most powerful motivators we have out there and two, the greatest setbacks in life aren’t going to come from other people or the words they try to give you—they are going to come from you.
So, with every one of these “nos,” I pushed ahead a little harder; with every “you can’t,” I set out to say, “watch me prove you wrong.” And you know what? I did.
I’m not alone in this. Every single person who has ever done anything important, or meaningful, or exceptional in this world—whatever it is they did—I can promise you they faced a whole lot of rejection before they got to that life-changing moment. I can promise you there’s a backstory behind that polished product you’re looking at right now.
We all have walls in front of us.
The world isn’t against you; we all are going to face hard times. Rejection is just one of those pieces that’s inevitable for everyone, no matter how intelligent, skilled, or experienced you might be. Even more, the bigger your ambitions—the more you put yourself out there—the more rejection you’re likely to face; it’s all normal.
How this failure defines you, however—what you decided to do with it—that is something you have control over.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to ignore all the rejections and trump that you’re better; what I’m telling you to do is take responsibility—to learn what you can from the experience, find your strength, and move forward.
When I first started out in the network marketing industry, (and later as the Founder & CEO of my company) I didn't have a lot, and I definitely didn't know everything yet. Really, all I had going for me was an idea—an idea that I could do this—that I had enough passion and drive to work harder than ever before and, ultimately, best myself.
Back then, I faced a chorus of “unfortunately” and “you’re not good enough” remarks, but as shattering as those words were, I knew they had power. I knew they could motivate me to push ahead.
The “sorry, but…” response, delivered time and time again, taught me resiliency. If I didn't hear them, I’m not certain I’d be where I am today. More than I remember every “yes,” I remember each “no”—these are the naysayers who fueled my fire, they are my defining moments, and they remain to be some of the greatest motivators I’ve ever met.
The way I see it, we have two options: we can let others tell us we’re a failure and we can believe them, or we can take that negativity and use it as an incentive. We can persevere in spite of what they say. If you want success, you have to understand that where you are today has nothing to do with where you can go tomorrow—that just because you haven’t yet, it doesn't mean you never will. You are on your way to becoming something greater, if only you recognize this possibility and take responsibility.
Don't let anyone steal your dreams from you—take what you can from the hardships, and then let the rest go.