The Missional Agent Memo #27 - When You Feel Like a Reject

Rejection hurts. It stirs shame, self-doubt, and questions about whether we’re enough. But what if rejection isn’t proof you’re failing, but part of the process of becoming? In this episode, Chris shares why rejection may actually be preparing you for the thing you’re building.

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Transcript

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Issue number 27 of the Missional Agent Memo. When you feel like a reject. What if rejection isn't proof you're not enough, but proof you're trying something that matters? Rejection feels heartbreakingly. It's often followed by storms of shame and undercurrents of not enoughness. A relationship falls apart, a client says no, a team member leaves, the opportunity doesn't come through. You put yourself out there and hear the word we all hate. No. And if we're honest, rejection rarely stays external. It gets internal fast. Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I'm not cut out for this. Maybe I'm on the wrong path. But history has proven something over and over again. Rejection is not the end. More often than not, it's the pathway. Michael Jordan didn't make varsity a sophomore year. He was cut while his taller friend made the team. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star and later watched his first animation company go bankrupt. Stephen King, the famous author, he threw his first manuscript in the trash after getting 30 rejections. His wife pulled it out of the trash. I imagine all three of them did what Jordan did after being benched. He went home, he shut the door, and he cried about it. But then he got back on the court, he picked up the ball and went at it again. The rest is history. I wish this weren't true. I wish character was built by sitting on the beach sipping strawberry coladas. I wish confidence came without failure. I wish courage came without being afraid. And I wish growth came without resistance, but it doesn't. And I hate this truth, but I think it's real. Rejection isn't stopping you, it's strengthening you. Because if success arrived before your character, confidence, resilience, and humility matured, it might crush you. You have to grow strong enough to carry the thing you're asking for. As you think about what you're building right now, let me ask you something. What's the one thing that scares you to death that if you did it and it worked, would move you meaningfully closer to your goal? Is it making a simple call, starting the business? Is it building a framework? Is it having the hard conversation, applying for the role, or asking for that new opportunity? Whatever it is, say it out loud. Like right now, say it out loud and then picture it in your mind. Now, look right beside it. You see fear standing there? Wave at it, smile at it, then go do the thing anyway. Artist George O'Keefe once wrote, I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do. Friends, fear is not the enemy. Avoidance is not trying is the enemy. Rejection doesn't mean you're disqualified or you're on the wrong path. Most of the time, it simply means you're in the arena. You're fighting for something that matters. So you're afraid. Me too. Acknowledge it. Give it a wink and a wave and do it anyway. Smile. And if I can help, send me a message. I'm getting pretty good at waving at fear myself. Always in your corner, Chris.