Rejection Therapy 8/5/21 Rejection Therapy 8/5/21

30 Day Rejection Challenge - the Change of our lives

Authors: Crispin & Tim, podcaster (Germany)

Tim and I reached out to Jia a few weeks ago because we wanted to express our immense gratitude for his influence on our lives.

Our story starts around noon, November 13, 2018… …

I, Crispin, am currently traveling through New Zealand. I am 18 years old, just graduated high school and ready to take my life into my own hands. Right on my second day after arrival I had met Tim, another young guy from Germany who traveled to New Zealand for the same reason. On that Tuesday, November 13, 2018, I show Tim the youtube video of Jia Jiang’s Tedx talk ‘What I learned from 100 days of rejection.’ We both watch it in awe, thinking: “Wow. This sounds crazy.” On the same note we are also deeply inspired.

We look at each other - knowing we are both thinking the same thing.

Let’s do this, we said.

The first challenge: Borrow 100 bucks from a stranger.

Easy.

Not so easy. After figuring out who is gonna start we find ourselves trying to approach the first person. Nearly impossible. For some reason the simple act of stopping a person and casually asking them to lend us 100 bucks turns out to be one of the most uncomfortable things we have ever done. We see a person, start to walk in their direction and … turn around. This seems to be so hard for some reason! But we start out again. And again. And again. And then, almost 30 minutes later, I find myself simply opening up my mouth. I hear the words “Excuse me, can I borrow 100 bucks from you?” coming out of my mouth.

It was this moment that I felt the biggest relief of my life. It was also this moment that made me realize once again why we were doing what we set out to do. Both Tim and I came to New Zealand after high school for a reason. We wanted to develop ourselves. We wanted to come back home as the person we dreamed of being. And it was that moment I knew that my life would never be the same again.

This day was the start of the journey in which Tim and I broke free from the limitations we had set ourselves growing up. On the same afternoon, we set ourselves the audacious goal of doing one rejection challenge a day for 30 consecutive days. And our journey kept going ever after.

Now, two and a half years later I can say that - oh man - change is possible.

It is the confidence I have now, it is my girlfriend, my Podcast ‘With the Right People’ and the life I live now that keep reminding me of this life-changing experience back in New Zealand. And since Tim is one of my best friends ever since, I can assure that it’s the same for him.

Tim and I keep Jia’s Tedx talk and the message it entails among the top influences of our lives.

Keep going on your mission!

Rejection Therapy 8/4/21 Rejection Therapy 8/4/21

Moving Beyond Rejection to Enter Your Personal Power

Author: Linda T., Executive Coach

(Washington, USA)

How many of you go through life thinking about and then answering the question, "What is the worst thing that can happen?" I invite and encourage you to rewrite this disempowering script playing in your head that contemplates an upcoming rejection. The next time you find yourself in a situation when that thing you want most to happen is at stake, what if, for a moment, you flip the internal conversation you are having with yourself to,

"What is the best thing that can happen?"

Why am I sharing this now?

I wanted more than anything to teach a facilitated workshop where I could share with individuals how they could change their environment and find resiliency when faced with adversity and find hope again. When I worked with a life coach who helped me navigate through the darkness and find my spark, I was inspired to step up and into my calling to serve people. But, I didn't see how I could do this without the certifications that people often ask for you to provide.

My coach didn't see this as the barrier that I did. Instead, he invited me to take action and ask for a meeting at a local college to open a door for a discussion. I waited about a year before I thought I was ready. Then one day, I decided that instead of fearing the dreaded no and feeling defeated in answering my call to serve others, I changed my internal script to what if they said yes and I could honor my desire to make an impact?

Not only did I get a meeting, I received much more. I accepted an assignment to write a class proposal, create a course description, and fill out and sign a paid contract to teach!

What is the importance of sharing this? I walked in with the single purpose of sharing my passion and desire to deliver an impactful lunch and learn on the subject of resiliency to improve people's outlook. My ability to be received was less about my credentials and more about communicating with conviction.

I learned that when I chose to focus on rejection or not getting what I asked for, it held me back. The cost for this limited way of thinking is high because it robs you of the ability to create experiences that provide the visibility to live truthfully in your power. When we can courageously move beyond this fear and honor our right to ask for things that can be ours, we live a life we believe we are worthy of receiving.