Nobody likes rejection, especially writers. Still, it is highly unlikely that an individual (and again, especially a writer) will go through an entire lifetime without experiencing it, in some form or another. Brendon Burchard, a best-selling author who wrote, ”The Motivation Manifesto,” says that he learned six of his most important lessons about writing and life after facing rejection from publishing moguls, Simon & Schuster.
It takes a lot of courage to keep moving forward through a storm of rejection. For an author, this type of proactive and independent thinking could make or break a career. In Burchard’s case, his status went from struggling, bankrupt writer to New York Times best-selling author for several weeks in a row. Whether you are also a writer or business owner or stay-at-home parent or student, etc., you might want to ponder the lessons that Burchard says he learned from rejection.
If you have a vision, stick with it
Burchard, who is now considered a motivation guru by millions of readers, encourages people to stick to their visions for their careers and for life. No matter who tells you that your idea stinks or that you will never make your dream a reality, don’t listen. If you believe in yourself and in your vision, and you want to write a book, let nothing or no one stand in your way. Keep going.
Navigate your journey joyfully
Believing in your dream should be a source of joy in your life. There will always be obstacles, challenges and, in many cases, outright rejection. It’s okay. Be joyful anyway. Be joyful because, as long as you keep moving forward and stay on the path toward your goal, there is cause for joy and gratitude for all that you are learning along the way.
Overcome frustration with patience and persistence
Being joyful as you work to make your dream a reality does not mean that you will never experience frustration or have a bad day or week or month. Setbacks are opportunities for growth and learning. Try not to be too hard on yourself. Give yourself room to make mistakes and to learn from them. Most importantly, persist in your efforts to achieve the goals you have set in life.
Make respect and love a central focus and driving force in your life
Everyone is out there trying to eke out a living, to make ends meet and to find happiness in life. Remember to treat every individual you meet with love and respect. When these virtues are part of your motivation, you cannot help but succeed.
Brendon Burchard shared several more lessons that he learned from being rejected by Simon & Schuster in this post. They tried to squelch his dream. He believed in his vision, so he did not let them. What are your dreams, and how willing are you to keep going to make those dreams come true?