Don’t Waste a Good Rejection
Successful people know that setbacks are opportunities in disguise — and that big wins don’t always change your life
As a musical artist and, later, the owner of my own music agency, I’ve been rejected untold times and waited on countless follow-up calls that never came. Because of this, I’ve learned to accept disappointment as a viable option before it even happens. I try to remind myself that new opportunities are always around the corner. And it’s the most potent lesson I’ve ever learned.
I’m not alone in this. So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Mandy Moore arrived in Los Angeles at 18 years old with dreams of becoming a dancer. She was crushed when she wasn’t chosen for a scholarship program at a famous dance studio, which she thought would be the start of her career. Her entire plan — her future — depended on this one thing going right. Or so she believed.
Though she didn’t realize at the time, getting rejected made her even more more committed to her goals. With nowhere else to turn, Moore set onto a Plan B. Without a scholarship to fund her training, she took a job at a dance studio to pay for classes. Whenever she wasn’t working at the studio, she was there taking classes.
