The word that really scares me because it shows how incapable I am to get others to see the good in what I am doing.
These days, my start-up is in the middle of financial difficulty so fund raising is my priority. In this exercise, hustling is a must and rejection is inavoidable.
Every single time I am faced with rejection, my mind would always go upside down. I feel not worthy, I feel not good enough, and I blame myself to have opened the business from the very first place.
Last night, a potential investor who has been working with me for the past 1 month in reviewing my start-up finally decided he will not work with me.
I had sufficient confident that this will go through. But, apparently after reviewing the advice from his advisor he decided not to go ahead. I feel depressed right away, I feel that I do not have option other than to give up the business while I actually have so many ideas in my head.
After tons of rejection, at this point, I get tired of blaming myself. Instead, I get curious on why is he rejecting me. So I grab a glass of wine and re-read his message.
He said he does not think the current shape of the business will support his intention and objectives, hence it will take a lot to get there. So, it is not about me at all. It is about his objectives that are different from mine and his view that changing the details would cost him significant time and efforts.
I smiled, and I could sleep last night; my worries are still there but my anxiety disappeared.
Looking back, I have faced lots of rejection, at work, in my relationship, dealing with family. I now realised that I have never really face the rejection, I never really learn the ‘why’. Instead, I would always blame it on me, I let my mind told myself that I am not good enough. I let my mind and my fear to control me.
Another lesson from my start-up.. I am not there yet, but I am truly grateful of what it taught me.
