Career Mission's Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar cited several examples to show that life and work are not always a bed of roses. Failure and rejection are a part and parcel of life and you need to use these as stepping stones to move on.

The ability to persist till you achieve your goals is what Harrison believes is one of the leading factors for success. You need to be able to face failure and maintain a state of calmness. Failure teaches you an important thing about life every time you experience it. Also, the more you fail, the more likely you are able to make the law of averages work for you. It is absolutely crucial to learn how to fail and how to deal with frustration. The life of Sylvester Stallone for instance, reads some of the most incredible facts of a man who failed so many times and was rejected by so many people, and yet he gained tremendous amount of success and recognition. It was sheer perseverance and ultimate faith in himself that lead him to achieve his goals.

The most successful people generally deal with a tremendous amount of frustration and rejection until they reach their goals. Maintaining a positive attitude and staying disciplined in the face of frustration and rejection enables you to be strong. Not succeeding the first time is just fine. Look back, discover the mistake made by you, and do the thing again and again and yet again, till the day you succeed. Even in your job search, apply to every possible job opening and even to those employers who are not advertising. This can make a tremendous difference for you. Do not be afraid of rejection. What’s the worst that could happen? You will not be selected at an interview or someone will not reply to your mail. That’s it. You would not lose much. Doing something and failing is better than doing nothing. At least by trying you will learn a lesson. Learning a lesson is among the most valuable experiences you can have. Your ability to handle frustration and rejection will ultimately determine the level of success you will experience.