The first letter was typed on a typewriter.

I was eleven years old. Fifth grade. A teacher gave our class an assignment: study an inventor, write a non-fiction article, and submit it for publication. Most kids turned theirs in for a grade and moved on. I mailed mine.

I addressed it. Typed it carefully. Signed my name.

And then… I received a rejection.

That piece of paper — slightly yellowed now — is probably my very first “query letter.” It didn’t get published. There was no confetti moment. No editor saying, “We’ve been waiting for you.”

Just silence and a polite no.

Fast forward to 1999.

I had written my first novel. I believed in it enough to print it, package it, and send it out into the world. And then the letters started coming back.

No.
Not a fit.
Good luck elsewhere.
Thanks, but no thanks.

Stacks of rejection letters from agents and publishers — some kind, some blunt, some painfully generic. Each one stung a little. Sometimes a lot.

It would have been easy to stop there.

To decide that maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.
That maybe my voice didn’t matter.
That maybe dreaming big was something you’re supposed to grow out of.

But here’s the part that matters most:

I didn’t quit.

Years later, I’ve written and published eight books. Some became Amazon best sellers. One became an international best seller. Those books opened doors I never could have imagined — allowing me to share ideas, stories, and lessons on big stages and small ones across the country.

And none of it would have happened if I had let rejection have the final word.

Rejection has a way of feeling personal — even when it isn’t. It whispers lies like “you’re not good enough” or “if this was meant to be, it would’ve worked by now.” But rejection isn’t a verdict on your worth or your potential. It’s feedback. It’s timing. It’s fit. Sometimes it’s simply someone else not being your cup of sweet tea.

And that’s okay.

Because here’s the truth we don’t talk about enough:
You don’t need everyone to say yes.
You need one right yes.

Rejection stings — no doubt about it. But it doesn’t have to be the end of the story unless you let it be. Often, it’s just a chapter. Sometimes it’s the plot twist that builds resilience, sharpens your craft, and prepares you for what comes next.

Looking back now, I’m grateful for those early “no’s.” They taught me persistence. They taught me humility. They taught me that success isn’t about avoiding rejection — it’s about outlasting it.

So if you’re sitting with a rejection letter right now — literal or figurative — hear this:

Your dream didn’t expire because someone else didn’t see it yet.
Your voice still matters.
Your work still has value.

Keep going. Keep learning. Keep refining. Keep believing.

You may not be everyone’s cup of sweet tea — but someone is going to take a sip and say, “Yes. This is exactly what I needed.”

And when that happens, you’ll be glad you didn’t stop at no.

If you want more secrets to a thriving workplace, you can:

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