That dreaded email
I’m sorry to inform you that... throws laptop away
We’ve all gotten one too many of these. You had your hopes up. You really thought this time was the one. You worked so hard.
Man it sucks.
I think what’s really powerful is the words we choose to use.
I don’t use the word rejection anymore. I use the word decline.
Rejection could mean you weren’t wanted. That stings.
But decline? Hey it just didn’t work out.
The job search can be an arduous process. Whatever tools we can use to stay positive, we should use.
The language and words we surround ourselves with, define our mental state.
So many of us are already so hard on ourselves, by using kinder language, we can continue to stay positive.
The job search is marathon not a sprint. How do you keep your head up?
By recognizing that when things don’t work out, that’s part of the process. That if someone says no, they are not saying we don’t have value, they are saying it’s just not a good match right now
Your work is not your worth. Repeat. Your work is not your worth.
You have value regardless of whether you have a job or not.
I get declined all the time. Whether it’s from investors, customers or jobs I wanted, things not working out is just a normal part of business.
And I think that’s the real lesson here. I know it feels like your identity is wrapped up in your work. Trust me, I am with you on that one. I still get little stings when someone cancels or an investor says pass.
But business can just business. You wouldn’t get mad if you ordered a taco and they were out of tacos right?
I’m learning to separate what happened from my perception that I am less when I don’t get what I want.
What choice do we have? When you suffer from anxiety or depression, those little stings can add up and I don’t want to go down that route anymore.
I’m not going to let someone saying no, stop me from finding something I love.
I’m not going to let my perception of myself limit me. I can be my own worst enemy.
This is business, and while yes we all need to pay the bills, it’s much easier to pay the bills when you can shrug off all the bumps on your path.
Use the word decline. So much easier to shrug it off that way.