The cold sting of rejection. We’ve all felt it.

Rejection happens a lot in life. And for those people who take risk after risk… after risk. Rejection is a way of life. But for those people…the risk takers…the adventure seekers.

Rejection is not a source of distress. It’s a source of power.

I mean. We’ve seen it time and time again…

People who go after life. Who really go after life. People who seize the opportunity to achieve something special.

Those people fail, and are rejected so many times, that it is a wonder that they have the confidence to continue pursuing whatever it is they want to attain.

But, they have a special insight. They somehow know that living a life without rejection is living an unfulfilled, hollow existence.

So. They go after what they want. They fight for their goal. They turn their back on all the doubters. and they pursue it without looking back in regret.

I live in Los Angeles, so I meet a lot of actors. And the one thing I always wonder is how these guys and girls endure the sheer number of rejections. And then I realize. They have a dream. And they could care less about the rejections. Well. Let me take a step back. They care. But they care more about their dream than they do about the reality of rejection.

I get rejected all the time (I can just picture my friends grinning ear to ear with that admission.)

Seriously. Rejection happens all the time (ok, well…not all the time, but you know what I’m saying.)

Whether it’s “we’re gonna move in a different direction. Thanks pal. Now beat it.”

Or whether it’s me asking for help from someone who I thought was a friend. And, then I’m snubbed.

I thrive on rejection.

It never keeps me down for long. At first, it hurts. I sulk. I feel vulnerable. Then vindictive. But, then it passes.

And, then I feel empowered. Ready to take on the next challenge. But, when I do push on. I use the experience – the wisdom – from the negative encounter and I turn it into a positive, motivating force. I do that for one simple reason. I am in charge of my existence. And, I will not let others dictate my fate.

And neither should you. Everyone should understand that their life is their own, and that a healthy amount of rejection is only going to help you grow. It will help you grow emotionally. Mentally. And, most likely, spiritually (in whatever form of spirituality you abide by.)

I will be submitting the first 15 pages of my script this weekend. I just finished writing the inciting incident. That’s the part of the story, where the hero’s life is turned upside down. He can reject the call to action, but his life will never return to status quo. Or, he can face the call to action. And pursue his new goal.

This is a different type of rejection. But, it’s rejection nonetheless.

You see. The hero is not being rejected. Rather, he is the one doing the rejecting. And in that scenario, he gains insight and wisdom by the initial act of rejecting. Because the hero knows that his life will never be the same, and he fears that.

So. He rejects the change. But, after a little soul-searching, our hero knows that an all-out rejection of the call to adventure would serve to be an injustice to his life.

Next time you feel slighted. You feel rejected. Just think to yourself that it’s their loss. Not yours. It really is. You know who you are. What you can offer. And, if they can’t see that. Well. That’s their problem. You just walk away with a grin knowing that you will continue down life’s journey,  taking all of the experiences in stride.