How to Cope with Rejection

Picture this: you ask the girl of your dreams out for a date and are met with closed door. Like many people, I do not handle rejection easily. Self-doubt and depression are typical responses when rejection crushes our hopes.

Here is some sound advice on how to cope with rejection as outlined above.

Sit down with a pen (or at your computer) and write down the rejection episode from a humorous point of view. I found that this lifts away the dark clouds and gives you the strength to pick yourself up and try again.

Below is an entry that I wrote in my diary in 1992, where I did exactly that.

8th August 1992 - After days of deliberation, I pick up the phone to call a girl I met at a birthday party my best friend, George, sprang on his wife last weekend. My friend knew this girl very well, and at my gentle hinting, provided me with her number.

(Thoughts and emotions are written in Italics.)

Phone rings.

Phone is answered.

Lyn: Hello? (Strong, guarded, authoritative.)

Me: (Tentative, unsure, lacking confidence.) Hi Lyn, this is Peter, I met you last Saturday at Jillian's party, I hope you don't mind me ringing you at home.

Lyn: (Amiable now.) Where did you get my number - from an anonymous person?

Me: (Chuckling.) Yes, an anonymous person we both know.

Lyn: Oh. (Yeah, thanks George. Next time I see you...)

Me: I was just ringing to see if you were interested in seeing a movie sometime.

Lyn: When did you have in mind? (Name a time and I'll tell you I'm busy, which will be the truth. I'll make sure of that.)

Me: Whatever time suits you, I'm easy. (Missing completely the rejection-pending clue presented so clearly in above question.)

Lyn: Well, I'm pretty busy at the moment, (for the next six hundred years in fact,) but (and this part was spoken very politely) if you would like to leave your number, and something comes up, (that is, after those six hundred years have passed) I'll give you a call. (That is, don't call me, I'll call you. Are you getting this hint?)