Oh my God! “What calamity has befallen us, how will we face the society? What will people think of you? Look at Mr. Sharma’s son!” WELCOME TO INDIA! We have all been subject to this reaction when we were rejected from our dream colleges- the IITs and the NITs. Somewhere between making a list of our dream colleges to securing admission in a college that wasn’t even an option, we all grew up.
Our society has set notions about colleges and careers and parents in India leave no stone unturned to ensure that their child subscribes to those dated notions. Your cousin sister’s friend’s cousin brother is in AIIMS and your neighbor’s sister’s neighbor is in IIT so your parents want to show you off to the world too!
Rejection is never fun. But getting rejected is a simple fact of life. Even though none of us are immune to being rejected, it’s a hurtful process. While you were having a study schedule of 12*7 and still couldn’t live up to the expectations of your parents, Sharma ji’s son aced his exams.
Did you know? The former American president, Barack Obama was rejected from Swarthmore College but he still managed to become the President of USA, didn’t he? Rejection is normal and universal. If your parents wished for you to get into X college and you didn’t, it’s okay. We’re all humans, so go easy on yourself. And remember – your parents don’t dream of a good college for you, rather they dream of stability and a good career for you.
Know that studying in the college of your dreams will not necessarily land you a job at the world’s best MNC or make you the Prime Minister. It is your intelligence, determination and hard work that will help you conquer that dream. You also need to understand that parents are a generation behind us and things in the corporate and business world have drastically changed over the last few years.
Before feeling guilty about rejections in life, we need to keep some things in mind:
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- You were rejected from your preferred college, not from the course you wish to study. You wouldn’t be assured happiness even if you had got into the college of your parent’s choice.
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What next? You just got a step behind from a good life, not away from it. You can still strive hard and carve your own path towards a successful life.
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Don’t cry over your failure, know that failures are inevitable and they give you a chance to learn to deal with challenges. And this isn’t the hardest curve ball life is going to throw at you. You’re going to have a lot more of these. What’s important is that you need to know how to pick yourself up.
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Always strive to be the best version of yourself and assess optimistically what you can change to become more successful. Once you accept the causes of your rejections, you will be able to make up for them and start working on them. Accepting your shortcomings is the first step to success.
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Failures are a sign that you tried and failed. So know that you’re halfway there.
Before you get dejected and start sulking, know that rejections are a part and parcel of life. Don’t start to curse your luck just yet. Believe that destiny has something better in store for you and before you begin to think that you didn’t live up to your parents’ expectations, understand that this is the time for you to prove yourself. Because it’s failures that eventually lead you to success and you’re never too old to do anything!
Also, check out: How To Convince Your Parents To Let You Pursue Your Passion
