Looking for inspirational rejection quotes about life, love, and goals?

Rejection is a hard emotion to deal with and an even harder message to hear. When we are faced with rejection, it can be a hit to our ego, or it can make us question if we are good enough.

We are good enough, this was just not the right time or the right opportunity. As a firm believer in things working out as they should, I find it important to dig deep within ourselves and find the strength to pick ourselves up and start again.

I know that sounds easier than it might be, but every rejection, every failure, and every letdown is a chance to improve, regroup, and try again for opportunities that are even better fits for us than the one that did not work out in the first place.

The greatest successes will be the first to tell you that they would not be the people they are today without having to face rejection head-on and deciding whether to throw in the towel, or what different they need to try.

Sometimes what we learn from rejection, ends up ultimately making us the best version of ourselves, and in the best possible position. Maybe some of this wisdom will help you during those difficult moments:

Rejection quotes about life

1. “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

2. “In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” – Nikos Kazantzakis

3. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”- Charles R. Swindoll

4. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi

6. “What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”- Ralph Marston

7. “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

8. “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”- Og Mandino

9. “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi

10. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn (see more quotes by Audrey Hepburn)

11. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”- C. S. Lewis

12. “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.”- Swami Sivananda

13. “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”- Theodore Roosevelt

14. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” – William Shakespeare

15. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”- Mark Twain

Rejection Quotes About Work and Goals

16. “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” – Aristotle

17. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”– Confucius

18. “Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt

19. “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”- Og Mandino

20. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs

21. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou

22. “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle

23. “I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn

24. “You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

25. “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” – Joseph Campbell

If you’re enjoying these quotes, make sure to check out our collection of hero quotes that inspire everyone to make a difference.

26. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali

27. “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” – Robin Williams

28. “Most fears of rejection rest on the desire for approval from other people. Don’t base your self-esteem on their opinions.” – Harvey Mackay

29.  “A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.” – Bo Bennett

30. “I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” – Sylvester Stallone

Rejection Quotes About Love and Disappointments

31. “It’s easy to cry when you realize that everyone you love will reject you or die.”
― Chuck Palahniuk

32. “Human rejection can be God’s divine protection.” – Paula Hendricks

33. “We all learn lessons in life. Some stick, some don’t. I have always learned more from rejection and failure than from acceptance and success.” –  Henry Rollins

34. “Rejection just motivates me to keep trying and to try to do better.” Sasha Grey

35. “If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.”
– Henry David Thoreau

36. “There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.”
― Martin Luther King, Jr.

37. “If you’re betrayed, release disappointment at once. By that way, the bitterness has no time to take root.”
― Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut.

Rejection quotes for when you’re denied

38. “If a circle shuts you out, draw a circle around it.”― Marty Rubin

39. “I have learned not to allow rejection to move me.” – Cicely Tyson

40. “A man who rejects you is simply clearing the way for the One you deserve.”― Naide P Obiang

41. “To get rejected so vehemently
Over and over again
Until some said it was the rejection I was after
No it wasn’t
I wanted the intensity that you sometimes promised”― Dorothea Lasky

42. “If you aren’t mad about the rejection, you didn’t invest enough into the process.”― Darnell Lamont Walker

43. “Today’s rejection may become tomorrow’s acceptance.”― Ehsan Sehgal

44. “Depression taught me how to love myself more than rejection ever could.”― Nitya Prakash

If you’re enjoying these quotes, you’ll love our collection of powerful depression quotes that will provide perspective.

45. “Realize your true strength when people reject you. In actual fact, they do not reject you. They only show you your real strength”― Ernest Agyemang Yeboah

46. “I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.” – Sylvia Plath

If you’re enjoying these quotes, read our collection of Sylvia Plath quotes from the iconic poet.

47. “If you live for people’s acceptance, you will die from their rejection.” –Lecrae

Rejection quotes to make you strong

48. “I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection.” – Billy Joel
49. “Learn to accept rejections.” – Stefy Anto

50. “If you aren’t getting rejected on a daily basis, your goals aren’t ambitious enough.”― Chris Dixon

If you’re enjoying these quotes, read our collection of ambition quotes to set your sights sky high.

51. “Finish your race even if you must do it bruised and alone.”― Naide P Obiang

52. “The only thing that will help us move past the giant of rejection is to immerse ourselves in the acceptance of Christ.”― Louie Giglio

53. “If you aren’t ready for rejection, you aren’t ready for love.”― Marty Rubin

54. “To be set aside is to be rejected.To be set apart is to be given an assignment that requires preparation.”― Lysa TerKeurst

55. “People’s rejection can be God’s direction for you.”― Farshad Asl

56. “Successful people reject rejection.” – John C. Maxwell

57. “Never fear rejection for a life of regretting.” – Anonymous

Thought-provoking rejection quotes

58. “Rejection, though–it could make the loss of someone you weren’t even that crazy about feel gut wrenching and world ending.”― Deb Caletti

59. “Friendship was a concept men bandied about to save face when they were rejected.”― Courtney Milan

60. “When you’re following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for you, even if they mostly slam at first.”― Kelly Cutrone

61. “But there’s only so much rejection you can take before you finally give up and stop trying.”― Brigid Kemmerer

62. “Rejection is a challenge.”― Veronica Purcell

63. “You have to take all the rejections that life will throw at you. We do not grow in happiness, but we grow in sadness. Each rejection teaches us something new.”― Avijeet Das

64. “Every broken heart has screamed at one time or another, “I want to know why!”― Shannon L. Alder

65. “Don’t loose your hope until you get rejected, because once you loose your respect you will get rejected.”― Allan Bridjith

66. “Rejection teaches you about where you stand. There is nothing wrong with that. When I look back at the time, I don’t regret being rejected, but I regret wasting years.”― Neeraj Agnihotri

67. “Your soulmate is not the person who rejected you.”― Daniel V Chappell

You can learn how to bounce back like a boss after you’ve read these disappointment quotes.

Rejection quotes to make you stronger

68. “I am good at walking away. Rejection teaches you how to reject.” – Jeanette Winterson

69. “When you give yourself permission to communicate what matters to you in every situation you will have peace despite rejection or disapproval. Putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret.” ― Shannon L. Alder

70. “Do not worry when rejected by mankind. If you return to God, your righteous Maker will receive you.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

71. “If at first you think it’s rejection, it’s probably actually newfound freedom.” – Emilyann Allen

72. “A rejection may cause pain. However, it’s not a failure; it shows the reality and other ways too.” – Ehsan Sehgal

73. “Rejection of desire is liberating. Renunciation is a form of power.” – Kilroy J. Oldster

74. “There’s nothing as painful as rejection without correction. It’s like direction without destination.” – Kabelo Mabona

75. “Rejection is a part of any man’s life. If you can’t accept and move past rejection, or at least use it as writing material – you’re not a real man.” – Master Jiraiya

76. “I’d been rejected, but I was still in love, so I decided to start over.” – Steve Jobs

77. “It ain’t about your good or bad intentions, you just look so different.” – Toba Beta

More rejection quotes and sayings

78. “The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity or power, but self-rejection.”- Henri Nouwen

79. “Rejection means a lot of hard feelings that come together and, in a sense, accepting defeat.” – Unknown

80. “Rejection is part of the game. Or rather, rejection is part of the profession. A profession which at times can feel like a game.”- Robin Black

81. “A wall that protects you from rejection will also hinder love and success.” – Unknown

82. “Just because you are different does not mean that you have to be rejected.”- Eartha Kitt

83. “Getting rejected is an opportunity to look at all areas in which you can improve.” – Unknown

84. “The effects of rejection can either kill your muse or change your life.”- Jane Champagne

85. “Being rejected means you still have a lot to learn about who you are to become a better person.” – Unknown

86. “Successful people are not born with easy lives – they just don’t associate with rejection or obstacles.” – Unknown

87. “You will be the first to say that they wouldn’t be the people they are today without having to face rejection and decide whether to throw a towel or what else they need to try.” – Unknown

Rejection quotes to encourage you to try again

88. “Rejection isn’t failure. Failure is giving up. Everybody gets rejected. It’s how you handle it that determines where you’ll end up” – Richard Castle

89. “Those who rejected you were preparing you for those who would accept you” – Matshona Dhliwayo

90. “Get used to rejection. No one starts from the bottom with applause or the word yes being heard often” – Nicky Verd

91. “Rejection doesn’t have to mean you aren’t good enough; it often just means the other person failed to notice what you have to offer” – Ash Sweeney

92. “Do not waste yourself in rejection; do not bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

93. “Rejection puts you out of your comfort zone which is usually when you’re at your best” – Stewart Stafford

94. “Rejections will redirect you to more exciting roads. When you think your life is falling apart, it’s usually falling together in disguise” – Charlotte Eriksson

95. “It is necessary to put yourself out for rejection, and accept that you will be rejected” – Robert Genn

96. “Rejection gives you more power to push forward” – Jeremy Limn

97. “Sometimes rejection in life is really redirection” – Tavis Smiley

Rejection quotes for when you’re losing hope

98. “I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death; and flung it back to me. People feel with their hearts, Ellen, and since he has destroyed mine, I have not power to feel for him.”
― Emily Brontë

99. “To live in a hallucination of being loved is more painful than rejection.” ― Vinaya Panicker

100. “I do not lack the courage to tell you how I feel. What I fear is how you will react to it.” ― Bram Stoker

101. “There will always be disappointments and rejection in this game but that’s part of the writing journey, and everyone’s journey is different.” ― Sean Clarke

102. “O you free spirits, they will mock you, malign you, reject you: it will only make you more independent.” ― Marty Rubin

103. “Due to the trauma, we experience the fear of rejection, inadequacy, and/or the fear of powerlessness itself.” ― Kenny Weiss

104. “I am not afraid of the word “no”, and I am not intimidated by “gatekeepers”.” ― Carlos Wallace

105. “Rejection sucks, no matter how it’s presented.” ― Colleen Hoover

106. “Even though a “YES” sounds better sometimes a “NO” is more important.” ― Sope Agbelusi

107. “I’d cycled through the stages of rejection – denial, anger, homicidal mania, hating Matt’s stupid face, and acceptance” ― Tim Anderson

108. “He’s a moron whose only possible appeal is that he rejected you. Why even worry about him?” ― Vicki Grant

Rejection quotes to motivate you

109. “Rejection is a common occurrence. Learning that early and often will help you build up the tolerance and resistance to keep going and keep trying.” – Kevin Feige

110. “You have people come into your life shockingly and surprisingly. You have losses that you never thought you’d experience. You have rejection and you have learn how to deal with that and how to get up the next day and go on with it.” – Taylor Swift

111. “Remember, the pain of rejection is nothing compared to the pain of regret.” – Matthew Hussey

112. “Acceptance, under someone else’s terms, is worse than rejection.” – Mary Cassatt

113. “If rejection destroys your self-esteem, you’re letting others hold you as an emotional hostage.” – Brian Tracy

114. “There is going to be a hundred thousand doors slammed in your face before one opens, so feel ok about taking rejection.” – Heather Matarazzo

115. “We are always afraid to ask because we aren’t afraid of the answer but the feeling of rejection.” – Anna R.

116. “If I went by all the rejection I’ve had in my career, I should have given up a long time ago.” – Mike Myers

117. “Rejection is not the end. Just a step on the path.” – Anonymous

118. “The fear of rejection is worse than rejection itself.” – Nora Profit

Rejection quotes to move you toward success

119. “Everyone at some point in life has faced rejection and failure, it is part of the process to self-realization.” -Laila Gifty Akita

120. “The better you are at communicating, negotiating, and handling fear of rejection, the easier life is.” -Robert Kiyosaki

121. “Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.” -Bernard Branson

122. “Be mature enough to accept rejection and failure.” -Varshitha Karanam

123. “Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding.” -Jim Valvano

124. “Taking risks is part of life, but to take risks invites the possibility of failure and rejection, but also the possibility of true happiness.” -Morten Hogsberg

125. “As I look back on my life, I realized that everytime I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.” -Steve Maraboli 

126. “Rejection is a part of life. Just learn to deal with it and keep moving.” -Samyak Mendhe

127. “The biggest hurdle is rejection, be ready for it. The difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people do all the things the unsuccessful people don’t want to do. When 10 doors are slammed in your face, go to door number 11 enthusiastically, with a smile on your face.” -John Paul DeJoria

128. “Rejection tests whether you’re serious about your dreams.” -Tiyasha Ghosh

Rejection Quotes To Illustrate The Brighter Side After Rejection

129. “Each rejection brings us closer to acceptance.” — Ramesh Lohia

130.“Rejection is the sand in the oyster, the irritation that ultimately produces the pearl.” — Burke Wilkinson

131. “You get used to rejection and you don’t take it personally.” — Daniel Craig

132. “Rejection is not meant to reduce you, it’s meant to reroute you to God’s purpose for your life.” — Danny Chambers

133. A clear rejection is always better than a fake promise.” — Zig Ziglar

134. “Every rejection is incremental payment on your dues that in some way will be translated back into your work.” — James Lee Burke

135. “You have to learn to take rejection not as an indication of personal failure but as a wrong address.” — Ray Bradbury

136. “Learn to eat rejection; it will make you stronger.” — Bob Ragland

137. “Literature simply becomes richer after you’ve been fired, rejected, stranded, or had to change a few midnight diapers.” — Christian Bauman

138. “Rejection is the greatest aphrodisiac.” — Madonna Louise Ciccone

Which of these rejection quotes resonated with you best?

I hope this provided you with some inspiration to move forward from and pick yourself up from rejection.

I will leave you with a quote that I hang on every wall of every space I have ever worked in, as I have always found it so relevant and motivating.

It is By Lao Tzu,

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

Let go of fear, let go of rejection, let go of anything negative you have ever been told.