Life is filled with failures and rejections, and most people let
those failures and rejections define who they are. Those that don't
rise above the fray to levels of success most can't even dream of. The
difference is in their response to the failure or rejection.
One famous example is Albert Einstein, who had thousands of failed
inventions, but by refusing to let those failures define him he was
able to achieve what most couldn't even dream of.
Recently Michigan passed legislation to make it easier for recently
released prisoners to get jobs. This is a great step in the right
direction, but the biggest obstacle most former prisoners face is
themselves. It's true that many employers don't want to hire ex-cons
because of the risks associated with former criminals.
So what do we do with a 'no'? How do we overcome objections? Many
ex-cons go into business for themselves because they find it easier to
start a business than to get a job for someone else. Others go right
back to a life of crime because, well, it's easier.
The problem seems to at least be in part to the expectation that to
succeed in life, one must not fail in the first place. That and the
assumption that the government can always take care of me. What's
lacking in either of these solutions is the fortitude required of
achieving something worth achieving.
If you don't value the solution than the work to achieve it isn't worth the struggle. Conversely, if you value the solution (not a job, but a way to legally provide for
one's self and family) it's worth the struggle to achieve it.
It might take creative thinking, or preparations through education, but
whatever it takes, if you value something enough, you're willing to
take the lumps that come with the struggle.
Next time you're told NO, don't accept the rejection as an indication
of who you are, but if it's worth achieving, persist until you get
results.
