Over the course of my life, I have learned that rejection can be a blessing. The stories we tell to uplift ourselves, especially when we are rejected or being evaluated by others, keep us moving forward.

As a teenager, I intended to study electrical computer engineering in Canada, but was rejected by a force I did not control. I chose a different path, and was rejected by another force I did not choose.

My company submits a few dozen RFPs (Request for Proposal) every year, but we don’t win them all. Even though — percentage wise — we’re above standards in the industry, I’m not always happy with the results. Some of our proposals are rejected.

I ask myself, and my team what we can learn from those rejections. What did we do well? What can we do better? What can we learn from this for the next time? As long as someone takes notes and makes sure I don’t hear the same ideas next time we get rejected it’s OK!

Sometimes you get rejected because it is not your “turn” — and sometimes you are rejected because there may be a better opportunity for you, just around the corner.

I am a firm believer of that because in my journey, many of the best opportunities that came my way came just after being turned down for something else.

What questions do you ask yourself when you are rejected?

BEFORE YOU GO

We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.

1. What have you learned from mistakes you made?

2. What have you learned from rejections you’ve received?

3. What do you do to keep moving forward with your ideas?

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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.