How Well Do You Handle Rejection?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

There is a dog named Dotty, a Dalmatian mix, that lived at the Hilbrae Rescue Kennels in the UK.

According to Anna Gragert at My Modern Met, Dotty was viewed over 10,000 times for adoption over a six-year period.  Not a single person wanted to adopt Dotty.  Not one.

Click here to see an actual picture of Dotty the Dalmatian.

I challenge anyone who reads this not to smile when they look at that picture of Dotty.

Even after 10,000 rejections, you can still see the energy, the enthusiasm and the love in the face of this dog.

After 10,000 viewings and 10,000 rejections, nobody adopted Dotty.  She was called “Briton’s loneliest dog.”  Yet, Dotty never stopped wagging her tail at the kennel.

The Daily Mirror in the UK did a story about Dotty.  Fortunately, a short time after the story was published, Ed and Janice Darrall adopted Dotty and made her a permanent part of their family.

Could you overcome “being rejected 10,000 times?”Stephen Lesavich, PhD

What kind of rejections have you faced in your life?

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PODCAST: How Well Do You Handle Rejection?

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Have you faced rejections for a creative project?

Have you been rejected in a professional situation?

Have you been rejected in a relationship?  By family or friends?

How have you responded to the rejections?

There is an old saying, “Rejection is God’s protection.”

Do you believe this saying is correct?

If you were rejected 10,000 times trying something, would you give up hope or make a 10,001 attempt to try again?

Or would you feel sorry for yourself or feel you are a victim?

Remember, you often experience rejections in your life for your own protection.

Rejections cause us to learn, grow and become better people.

How can you address rejection in your own life?

1. Acknowledge the Rejection. Acknowledging the presence of the rejection and its components is the key to understanding it, processing it and letting it go. Acknowledge the presence of absence of something in your life as a result of the rejection. If you do try to ignore or suppress the rejection, it will resurface in your life in a negative way (e.g., an illness, negative emotions, such as depression, anxiety, sadness, anger, fear, etc.). Openly acknowledge the feelings, emotions and circumstances that lead to the rejection.
2. View the Rejection with Discernment. Discernment is seeking the truth about the rejection without judgment and the without being influenced by the behavior of others. There are two sides to every rejection. Take some time to view both sides of the rejection with discernment. Be honest with yourself and your role in the rejection.
3. Take Responsibility for Your Side of the Rejection. After acknowledging the rejection and viewing it with discernment, take responsibility for your side of the rejection. Treat the rejection as a growth experience and an opportunity to embrace something new in your life. Then let it go and move on. It will take some time to overcome the rejection depending on the type of rejection you are going through. For example, an article in Psychology Today suggests it takes the an average of about 11 weeks to recover from a rejection related to a relationship.

The next time you are rejected in any situation, pause, take a deep breath, smile and think about Dotty the Dalmatian that was rejected 10,000 times then adopted.

Dotty the Dalmatian ended up in a better place and so can you…Believe it.

Out There on the Edge of Everything®…

Stephen Lesavich, PhD

Copyright © 2021, 2023 by Stephen Lesavich, PhD.  All rights reserved.

Certified solution-focused life coach and experienced business coach.