Welcome to the 18th issue of 5 Minute Friday from The Backpack CPA! Every Friday I share a short email with tips & resources to get you thinking about your Professional & Personal Development!

Let's start "growing" through our human journey instead of just "going" through it!

First A few words from a wise person...

“You gain strength, courage & confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

💪 Professional & Personal Development

Overcoming the Fear of Rejection 🚫

At some point in our lives, we all experience the fear of rejection. Whether it's asking someone out on a date, applying to your dream job, or just facing the unknown, no one is immune to feeling fear and self-doubt. But it's important to remember that fear of rejection doesn't have to define us. In fact, with the right tools and mindset, we can learn how to overcome this fear and focus on our goals.

This past summer I attended Scaling New Heights & one of the keynote speakers was Jia Jiang, who is the owner of the Rejection Therapy website. He initially embarked upon a 100-day journey of looking for rejections to help him overcome the fear of getting rejected. In Jia's own words "Just ask, rejection is a source of knowledge. When someone rejects you, it's just their opinion."

Often times we are worried or scared about someone telling us NO (i.e. getting rejected) and therefore we don't do what's best for us and run away from the situation/person.

What exactly is fear of rejection?

Simply put, the fear of rejection is when someone is afraid of being rejected or not accepted.

Ways to overcome the fear of rejection.

Here are some tips for overcoming your fear of rejection.

Identify Your Fear

The first step in overcoming your fear of rejection is identifying why you feel it in the first place. There may be underlying reasons or triggers that cause this anxiety. Understanding where your fear comes from can help you find ways to address and manage it more effectively.

Shift Your Mindset

Once you have identified your fears, it’s time to start shifting your mindset. When faced with rejection, think about how much stronger you will become from pushing through this difficult situation and learning from it. Instead of letting yourself be consumed by negative thoughts, focus on the potential positive outcomes that may arise from any kind of rejection. Embrace the idea that failure isn't something to be feared; instead, use it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Acknowledge Your Achievements

Another great way to combat fear of rejection is by acknowledging all the accomplishments you have achieved so far in life. It's easy to get bogged down in our own heads when we're feeling anxious or insecure—so take a moment to appreciate all the things that make you uniquely special and capable. Remind yourself that no matter what happens, nobody can take away your achievements or successes!

Challenge Negative Thoughts

It's easy to get stuck in a cycle of negative thinking when you're feeling anxious about potential rejection. But instead of letting those thoughts take over, try challenging them head-on by asking yourself questions like “What evidence do I have that supports this thought?” or “Is there another way I could look at this?” This helps put things into perspective so that you can approach situations more objectively instead of letting your emotions take control.

Practice Positive Self-Talk

Once you've identified the source of your anxiety and challenged any negative thoughts, it's time to start practicing positive self-talk. Remind yourself what makes you special, unique, and worthy of success—even if something doesn't go according to plan! By doing this regularly, eventually, any sense of self-doubt will start fading away as confidence takes its place.

Focus on What You Can Control

Focus on what you can control rather than worrying about things that are out of your hands. When faced with potential rejection or disappointment, remember that all we can really do is our best and put in the work necessary to succeed; after that, it's up to other people's decisions that are beyond our control. Rather than dwelling on possible outcomes or worrying about how others may perceive us, focus on giving your all in whatever task you have chosen and let go of the rest.

Reframe Your Thinking

Finally, one way to start working through your fear of rejection is by reframing the way you think about it. Instead of seeing rejection as “failure” or “not good enough”, try to see it in terms of “opportunity.” For example, if you don’t get a job that you applied for, instead of seeing it as a personal failure, view it as an opportunity to learn from the experience and become better prepared for future opportunities. Consider any feedback you receive as part of the learning process and use it to refine what you do next time around.

No matter how much we prepare ourselves for potential rejections in life they still hurt when they happen—that’s natural! But having strategies in place such as identifying why we feel afraid, creating a reframing our thinking, challenging our negative thoughts head-on, & using positive self-talk can help us tackle our fears so that we don’t let them stand in the way of our dreams! So next time you feel like giving up because of fear – remember these tips for overcoming the fear of rejection! With enough patience and perseverance, anything is possible! Good luck!

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Source

https://www.rejectiontherapy.com
https://www.rejectiontherapy.com/100-days-of-rejection-therapy

📗💡 Learning/Tools

A Video From Jia Jiang's 100-Day Rejection Therapy

I don't have any tools/apps to share this week, but just want to share one of my favorite videos from Jia Jiang's 100-day rejection therapy. He went to a Krispy Kreme Donut & asked if they can make him some donuts in the shape of the Olympics logo. Enjoy!