What Rejection Is Really Trying to Tell You...

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Today on Stay Fearless or Die Trying:

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Now let’s talk about something we all face but rarely know how to handle: Rejection :/

Let’s Get One Thing Straight: Rejection Hurts

Like, deeply.

Whether it’s not getting into that college you obsessed over, getting ghosted after a job interview you nailed, being left on read by someone you thought was into you, or launching something you were so proud of—only to hear crickets.

But here’s the thing I wish someone had told me sooner: Rejection isn’t personal. It’s a redirect.

Let that sink in for a second. Read it again. Seriously—screenshot it if you need to.

That one shift in perspective changed how I move through life—and maybe it can help you, too.

Rejection Isn’t a Verdict. It’s a Test.

Let me ask you something:

• Can you keep going even when it feels like the world isn’t watching?
  

• Can you stand in your truth even after a hundred “no’s”?
  

• Can you hold faith in yourself when there’s no outside validation?
  

That’s the test.

And here’s what I’ve found:
Every time I’ve been rejected, I’ve learned something I desperately needed to know.

This week I was so unfortunately rejected by a brand I was really hoping to work with for IMO the dumbest reason ER (in influencer terms: engagement rate) and it sucks. I put every minute of my life into this business and being rejected because I don’t have enough “followers” sucks!

When I look back, the closed doors make so much sense now.

We’re conditioned to see rejection as failure. But more often than not, it’s simply life nudging us toward something else—something better, or something more aligned with who we are and where we’re headed.

So What Do You Actually Do When Rejection Hits?

Here’s a little roadmap to help you navigate the next “no”:

**This isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation—but here’s what’s helped me the most:

1. Feel it.
Yes, seriously. Stop pretending it didn’t hurt. Cry. Get angry. Eat the cookie dough straight out of the tub. For 20-40 minutes, that’s all.

This isn’t weakness—it’s release. Your emotions deserve to be felt. Ignoring them only builds resentment toward yourself and others.

2. Talk about it.
Text your best friend. Write a journal entry. Voice memo yourself. 

Say the scary stuff out loud: “I’m scared I’ll never make it.” “I feel like I’m not enough.”

The moment you put your thoughts into words, they start losing power over you.

3. Reframe it.
Ask: “What might this be making space for?” or “What can I learn here?” 

Rejection clears the path—even if the next step isn’t obvious yet.

4. Keep going.
The most important thing: don’t stop. 

I know how tempting it is to stop trying. To protect yourself by staying small. To tell yourself, “I guess this just isn’t for me.”

The right yes is still out there. But you’ll only hear it if you stay in the game.

Real Talk: The Yes Only Comes When You Keep Showing Up

No one I know who’s successful—truly successful—got there without being rejected over and over.

Actors who got turned down for dozens of roles. Founders who got laughed out of pitch meetings. Creatives who posted content for years before gaining traction.

The people who make it aren’t the most talented. They’re the ones who didn’t give up.

So if you’re getting rejected? You’re already doing the scary, brave thing.

You’re in the arena.

You’re showing up. And that’s everything.

Here’s What I’d Tell My Past Self (And Maybe You Need to Hear This Too):

You are not behind.
You are not “too late.”
You are not failing.

You are becoming.
Every single “no” is shaping you into the version of yourself that can actually handle the “yes” when it comes.

So don’t shrink. Don’t stop.
Let rejection refine you—not define you.

You've got this.

Stay fearless or die trying,

Alexa

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If this hit home, forward it to a friend who might need to hear it today. Or reply and tell me—what was a rejection that ended up leading you somewhere better?