Dealing with Rejections in Life
Life is not a bed of roses. Life’s path winds through thorns and blooms alike. The petals of joy and the pricks of adversity both adorn our journey. We tread upon soil both soft and rugged, weaving our stories with threads of resilience. For in this intricate tapestry, the beauty lies not only in the roses but also in the strength to endure the briars.
Throughout our lives, we face rejection in different ways and in different areas. Sometimes the rejections are related to personal life; others are related to professional careers or in the field of education. The early forms of rejection one can remember are not qualifying through an entrance exam or failing the preliminary test for the first job. Sometimes the rejection may come at a later stage; you qualify for some levels of the test and then don’t make it to the final cut. It’s remarkable how setbacks can eventually lead to unexpected opportunities. Rejections, though disheartening at the time, often pave the way for growth, resilience, and new beginnings.
In life’s grand theater, we tread the boards. Our hearts are attuned to both applause and silence. Rejections, like a tempest’s gust, may buffet, yet within their storm, seeds of resilience take root.
In my life, I have seen several rejections. I did not qualify for the entrance exams, IIT-JEE and REC (the earlier version of NIT), twice in a row in two years. After the completion of my bachelor's degree, I did not qualify for the first job interview with Arvind Mills. I failed to make a cut with another company immediately after that. In the school days, despite being a fairly decent student academically, I did not qualify for scholarship tests in 5th and 7th standards.
In 1997, after about six months of gap after the completion of my bachelor’s degree, I joined the first job, which was a German MNC in the field of mining and construction equipment industry. In 1999, after about two years into my first job, for the first time, I qualified for an entrance test to enter a central university for a master's in management. In 2001, after successfully completing the MBA program, I got into a fintech company based in Chennai through Campus with a decent package. But as fate would have it, that was the time of financial crisis across the globe, and the company never honored the offer they made on campus. At that point, I again got in touch with my first employer (the German MNC), and they were happy to take me back at a higher salary as well as pay for my expenses during the MBA course. In 2004, the winds of opportunity swept across my path, offering choices aplenty. The European MNC extended its hand, promising remuneration and elevation in a dance of ambition. Yet, the British MNC whispered secrets of homecoming, a higher package, and familiar soil.
Embarking on an entrepreneurial journey after a 24-year professional career is akin to stepping onto a new canvas. In the past 36 months, I have encountered rejections, failures, and disappointments, each a brushstroke shaping my resilience. My entrepreneurial palette blends hues of courage, setbacks, and daily learning. From corporate corridors to the sunflower blooms of self-employment, I have composed my own symphony. Failures are not flaws; they’re notes in resilience’s rhapsody.
What keeps me sane? A daily dose of positive reinforcement through mind programming, reading spiritual texts, listening to positive podcasts, and engagement with likeminded people in person as well as virtually. I am sure everyone has their own share of rejections in life. The reason I am sharing this now is as a therapeutic way of pouring out my angst and anxiety in my life and, in the process, creating a channel for others to reflect on their own lives as well.
Keep painting boldly, for your masterpiece awaits its final stroke.
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