Half the Year Is Gone. I’m Celebrating My Record Number of Rejections.

No wins so far is also a win

Both parties are at Loss, haha.

Today marks the official halfway point of the year.

Six months. Gone.

Free

Some people are posting promotion announcements, startup milestones, engagement photos, and fitness transformations.

Meanwhile, I am proudly celebrating a completely different achievement.

I think I have broken my personal record for receiving the highest number of rejection emails in a single year.

My mornings have become strangely predictable.

I wake up.

Check my inbox.

And there it is.

“We regret to inform you…”

“We will not be moving forward with your application…”

“Due to the high number of applicants…”

“Unfortunately…”

Sometimes they even add a polite little twist:

“We are unable to provide individual feedback or offer a second chance at this time.”

Thank you for absolutely nothing.

After enough of these emails, a thought naturally creeps in:

Am I useless?

Am I not smart enough?

Why can’t I get into a single fellowship, grant, internship, job, or opportunity?

For a while, I genuinely wondered if there was something fundamentally wrong with me.

Then Instagram, of all places, decided to become wise for once.

The Reel That Changed My Perspective

I came across a short video that said:

“If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.”

And suddenly something clicked.

Every rejection email sitting in my inbox was evidence of something.

Not incompetence.

Effort.

Because every rejection represents an application I submitted.

A form I filled.

An essay I wrote.

A chance I took.

A risk I was willing to face.

The people who never fail often aren’t applying either.

They’re safe.

They’re comfortable.

They’re waiting until they’re “ready.”

Meanwhile, I’m out here collecting rejection letters like Pokémon cards.

Not ideal.

But at least I’m in the game.

Failure Is Data

This reminded me of something from The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin.

He talks about failure differently.

If something doesn’t work, you haven’t wasted your effort.

You’ve simply discovered one more path that wasn’t going to lead where you wanted.

That’s actually useful information.

Think about it.

If I apply for ten fellowships and get rejected from all ten, it hurts.

No question.

But I’ve also learned ten ways that didn’t work.

Ten applications that helped me write better.

Ten opportunities that forced me to articulate my ideas.

Ten chances to become slightly more resilient.

Failure isn’t just disappointment.

It’s research.

Expensive research, perhaps.

But research nonetheless.

The Hidden Advantage of Rejection

Nobody posts rejection screenshots.

Nobody writes LinkedIn updates saying:

“Thrilled to announce that I was rejected from my 17th opportunity this year.”

Hello connections, happy to announce that I am sad to announce my another REJECTION.

Which means we end up comparing our behind-the-scenes failures to everyone else’s highlight reel.

The reality is that many successful people have rejection folders that would make the rest of us feel much better about our lives.

We just don’t get to see them.

What we see is the final acceptance.

Not the hundred attempts that came before it.

Maybe This Is the Year of Failures

Maybe this year won’t be remembered as my year of wins.

Maybe it’ll be remembered as my year of attempts.

The year I applied.

The year I put myself out there.

The year I heard “no” more times than ever before.

And honestly?

That’s not a bad thing.

Because every rejection proves I was brave enough to ask.

The people who never fail rarely give themselves enough opportunities to succeed.

So if you’re reading this while staring at another rejection email, welcome to the club.

Membership is free.

The emotional damage, however, is included.

Final Thought

Half the year is already gone.

If you’re failing at something, good.

It means you’re moving.

It means you’re experimenting.

It means you’re trying to build a life that is bigger than your comfort zone.

And who knows?

Maybe the acceptance email you’re waiting for is currently making its way through someone else’s outbox.

Until then, keep collecting attempts.

They’re often worth more than they look.

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