When the Answer Was No

Long after the fact, these are the best kind. They remind us of how far we’ve come.
They’re proof that not giving up was a good idea. They are fuel for the next thing.

But, at the time, they’re pretty hard to live with.
All we can do is remind ourselves that it’s an unskippable part of a useful journey.1

—Seth Godin

Hi everyone,

This little post by Seth Godin got me thinking.

It brought me back to the many rejection letters I received on my way to getting published.

Like this one:

At the time, it felt discouraging.

Looking at it now, all I can think is: thank goodness I stayed with it.

And it reminded me of a page I saved years ago — the string of losses Abraham Lincoln piled up before he became president.2

Seriously.

How many times can a person hear “no” and keep going?

As it turns out, Lincoln wasn't alone:

Tell us about a rejection — or a whole string of them — and how you found your way through.

That not giving up was a good idea?

Ahhh 💙

What kept you going when the answer was no? When you didn’t give up?

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