Dealing with Rejection

6.Develop relationships with successful people. These should be people you can trust and on whom you can depend. Ask them for advice and feedback on how they would respond to challenges that are similar to the ones you face. Is there someone in your office that you would like to emulate? How about a successful client? Another way to do this is to create a personal board of directors and meet with them once or twice a year. You also might want to join or start a study group with like-minded agents. Such a study group will allow you to share ideas and glean inspiration from each other. Like-minded individuals also will have a much easier time relating to your thoughts and feelings and vice-versa.

7. Read positive and uplifting books. Make it a habit to visit your local bookstore or library to find positive and uplifting books that will help you reach a positive place and stay there. Set aside time each day to sit down and read from those books. Even if you only have 10 minutes to spare, use those 10 minutes to read something that will inspire you throughout the rest of your day.

Choose books on sales and achievement — biographies of successful people fall into this category. Everyone, even the most successful people in sales and business, has faced rejection and disappointment. One of the key characteristics of a successful person is the fact that he or she has learned how to overcome disappointment.

8. Learn to deal with your stress. Everyone, regardless of their position in life, has some degree of stress in their lives. Rather than looking at stress as a negative, turn it into a positive. For example, you may have an overloaded schedule at work. A negative person might view that overloaded schedule as nothing but a headache. A positive person, on the other hand, sees that packed schedule as an opportunity to achieve something positive.
When faced with a stressful situation, take a deep breath, mentally recite your positive affirmations, and relax. Once you're relaxed, you'll find it much easier to deal with the stressful situation.

9. Never give up. Everyone faces adversity and everyone goes through bad periods. The key to your success, both professionally and personally, is to never give up. Remember that every disappointment or failure is leading you one step closer to success. If you give up, you'll never achieve your goals. If you have to, take some time to pamper yourself and get away from your frustration, then continue toward your goal.

10. Become an optimist. Pessimists see the glass as half-empty while optimists see it as half full. Which are you? If you're a pessimist, start training your mind to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. Optimists naturally maximize their strengths, including their accomplishments, while minimizing any setbacks or weaknesses.

11. Take control. You can't control everything that happens in your life. But, if you take charge of yourself when faced with circumstances beyond your control, you'll have a much easier time dealing with those obstacles. Essentially, you must evaluate how you react to situations beyond your control. For example, if faced with a stressful situation, do you automatically begin to think negative thoughts and react negatively? Or do you immediately take control of the situation and start working toward a positive conclusion?

12. Develop self-awareness. Self-awareness is a key component of being positive and it will help you become resilient, making it easier for you to deal with adversity. Becoming self-aware requires you to examine how and why you feel a certain way about the situations in your life. When something upsets you, consider why you're upset and what changes you can make in your life to better cope with upsetting situations.

One of the best ways to develop self-awareness is through journal writing. You don't have to write in your journal every day, but when something is bothering you, empty your feelings onto the page. You'll gain a deeper understanding of yourself and will be better able to make positive changes in your life.

Disappointment is a fact of life. How you handle that disappointment will determine whether you move forward and achieve your goals or whether you remain stagnant, paralyzed with disappointment. By being proactive and learning how to make positive changes in your life, you'll be able to overcome obstacles and realize your goals.

Good luck to you on your journey to success.

Bob Arzt, CLU, ChFC, LLIF, is president and founder of Insurance Coach UTM, a coaching, training, and development company dedicated to agents and managers in the insurance industry. Mr. Arzt has been in the insurance industry for more than 30 years. He began his career as a sales agent, was a multi-year MDRT qualifier, and is the recipient of many company and industry awards, such as the National Sales Achievement Award and National Quality Award.