5 Ways to Handle Rejection Like a Pro

5 Ways to Handle Rejection Like a Pro Rejection stinks and it happens to everyone. Everyone. We’ve all gone on first dates that didn’t turn into second dates. We’ve all missed out on the publication, the big promotion, the invite to our second-grade schoolmate’s selective birthday party. Instead of wallowing in self pity, here are five ways to make lemonade and reframe your rejection next time you get whacked with one. 1. Buckle down and  rethink your strategyEither it’s a numbers game and you just have to wade through the pile of â€Å"no’s† to get to the eventual â€Å"yes,† or there are things you could be doing better. Every few rejections, take a time out to reconsider your focus and your game plan, then make the necessary adjustments. This will make you feel like you’re doing something constructive even when the good news seems to be just beyond reach and out of your control.2. If the door is closed, find the windowOr the silver lining. Or the upside of the downside. Basically, try and tell yourself that this rejection only leaves you open for a better opportunity you might have missed. In other words, let go of this one and go for one better!3. Learn from itTake each rejection as a challenge to goad you to do better and be better. No matter what, you’ll grow (and succeed) faster, regardless of how many rejections you receive. You’ll probably still get rejections; everybody always does. But if you learn something and let each one spur you on, you’ll be way ahead of the game.4. Zen it outSay to yourself that this just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe the timing was off, or you were looking in the slightly wrong direction. Tell yourself everything happens for a reason, try to be at peace with that, and prepare yourself to seize the next opportunity with clear eyes and open arms.5. Realize it’s not all about youSometimes we’re rejected not because we’re not good enough. Sometimes we’ re too good. Or the reason for our being rejected has nothing to do with us at all. Maybe  you remind the hiring manager of a kid who bullied him on the playground 20 years ago. Or maybe someone was having a really bad day when she  interviewed you. Or, for company politics reasons, they had to overlook your stellar qualifications in favor of some other factor. You never know. Sometimes it’s best to sit back and not take things quite so personally. Remember, the right â€Å"yes† is just around the corner.

Whether to Use Whether or If

Whether to Use Whether or If Whether to Use Whether or If Whether to Use Whether or If By Mark Nichol Sometimes, when it comes to deciding between using the word whether and employing the word if, the correct choice is obvious: â€Å"I don’t know if to turn the oven knob left or right† is obviously wrong, but the almost-identical statement â€Å"I don’t know if I should turn the oven knob left or right† is acceptable. However, because if implies probability, and whether indicates a choice between alternatives, in formal writing, the latter is more appropriate. Similarly, â€Å"I don’t remember if I turned the oven off† is correct, but because â€Å"I don’t remember whether I turned the oven off† more clearly expresses that two alternatives exist, it is better in formal contexts. â€Å"Turn the oven off if you are leaving† is a conditional sentence it involves probability, not choice and therefore if is correct. But â€Å"Turn the oven off whether or not you are leaving† conveys two alternatives, so whether is better. Note also the insertion of the phrase â€Å"or not† into the sentence: When the sense of whether is â€Å"regardless of the possible alternatives,† include the phrase. However, in such constructions as â€Å"I don’t remember whether I turned the oven off,† because whether already has a sense of â€Å"yes or no,† â€Å"or not† is redundant. The phrase â€Å"as to whether† to mean â€Å"about whether,† as in â€Å"I am unclear as to whether a decision has been made,† is correct, but it’s an unnecessary formality; â€Å"about whether† will do. The phrase is also somewhat pedantic in constructions such as â€Å"The question as to whether it will do any good hasn’t been answered.† Simplify to â€Å"Whether it will do any good hasn’t been determined.† When whether follows a noun such as decision, issue, or question, it should do just that, without the word of intervening, if the phrase appears in a sentence such as â€Å"They will make a decision whether we’re there or not.† (â€Å"Or not† is necessary here because the sense of whether is â€Å"regardless.†) But if the sentence structure is something like â€Å"It’s an issue of whether they’re qualified† (here, â€Å"or not† is superfluous), of is integral. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Classes and Types of PhrasesConfusing "Passed" with "Past"Practice or Practise?