Once upon a time…
Clarence was out of work, so he applied for the position of ‘office boy’ at a large corporation. The employer interviewed him and then gave him a test: clean the floor.
“You’re hired!” said the employer. “Give me your email address, and I’ll send you the application forms to fill in, as well as all the details on when you will start.”
Clarence replied, “I don’t have a computer or an email address.”
“I’m sorry,” said the employer, “If you don’t have an email address, that means you don’t exist. And, if you don’t exist, you can’t have the job.”
Clarence hung his head and left in despair and disbelief. He didn’t know what to do, with only $50 in his pocket. Suddenly he had an idea…
Clarence went to the supermarket, bought a 10kg crate of tomatoes, and sold them door-to-door. In less than two hours, he succeeded and doubled his capital.
He repeated the operation three times and returned home with $300. Clarence was so happy. He realised that he could easily survive in this way, and so he started to go to the markets each day at dawn, returning late in the evening. His money doubled or tripled every day!
A short time later, Clarence bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, Clarence’s company was one of the largest food retailers in the state. He began to consider his family’s future and decided that life insurance might be a good idea.
Clarence called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan. When the conversation concluded, the broker asked for his email. Clarence replied: “I don’t have an email.”
The broker exclaimed, “You don’t have an email, and yet you have built a successful food empire? Have you ever imagined what you could have done if you did have email?”
Clarence paused for a while and said: “Yes. An office boy!”
“Every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being re-directed to something better.”
― Steve Maraboli
Moral of the Story:
Rejection is Divine protection. What we see as setbacks and failures are often times when the universe steps in to show us what we’re really meant to be doing. Rejection is merely a redirection; a course correction to your destiny. Remember this and keep moving forward. Rejections will redirect you to more exciting roads. When you think your life is falling apart, it’s usually falling together in disguise. Rejection doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough; it usually means that the other person failed to notice what you have to offer.
The effects of rejection can either crush your muse or change your life. Rejection isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you; it’s a sign that ‘they’re’ wrong for you. View rejection as getting outside your comfort zone (where all the magic happens). Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. Success is turning pain into passion. Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.
“You may not realise it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”
— Walt Disney
Affirmation: My persistence changes setbacks into comebacks.
My fierce commitment to my goals keeps my persistence alive. I am transforming my life because I refuse to give up. Persistence is my protection against rejection. My determination to follow through empowers me. I persist through my resistance and negative self-talk. When others say quit, I persist. When my circumstances say give up, I persist. With confidence and persistence I can do anything. My persistence turns mountains into mole hills. I am neither too much nor too little. Every ending is a new beginning. I rejoice in my unlimitedness and know that before me lies the totality of possibilities. All is well in my world.
“If at first you think it’s rejection, it’s probably actually new found freedom.”
― Emilyann Allen
