The inspiring, relatable, and sometimes outrageous true story of how one man used 100 days of rejection therapy to overcome fear and dare to live more boldly “Rejection Proof smashes fear in the face with a one-two punch. You’ll laugh out loud at Jia’s crazy social experiments, but you’ll also go away thinking differently about what you can accomplish.”—Chris Guillebeau, New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Pursuit Jia Jiang’s TEDx Talk, “What I learned from 100 days of rejection,” has amassed over ten million views! Jia Jiang came to the United States with the dream of being the next Bill Gates. But despite early success in the corporate world, his first attempt to pursue his entrepreneurial dream ended in rejection. Jia was crushed and spiraled into a period of deep self-doubt. Jia realized that his fear of rejection was a bigger obstacle than any single rejection would ever be; he needed to find a way to cope with being told “no” that wouldn’t destroy him. Inspired by rejection therapy, which uses similar modalities as exposure therapy to desensitize you to the effects of being rejected, he undertook the “100 days of rejection” experiment, during which he willfully sought out rejection on a daily basis—from requesting a lesson in sales from a car salesman (no) to asking a flight attendant if he could make an announcement on the loud speaker (yes) to his famous request to get Krispy Kreme donuts in the shape of Olympic rings (yes, with a viral video to prove it). Over the course of one hundred rejection attempts, Jia realized that even the most preposterous wish might be granted if you ask the right way. He learned the secrets to making successful requests, tactics for picking the right people to approach at the right time, and strategies for converting an initial no into something positive. More important, Jia discovered ways to steel himself against rejection and live more fearlessly—skills that can’t be derailed by a single setback. The changes Jia experienced from his rejection therapy experiment went far beyond becoming more successful in business; he realized that he could apply these techniques to get more out of his relationships with friends, family, and even casual encounters with strangers. Filled with great stories and valuable insight, Rejection Proof shares the secrets of Jia’s rejection journey, distilling each lesson into a strategy that can be used in any negotiation or pitch.

Interpersonal rejection ranks among the most potent and distressing events that people experience. Romantic rejection, ostracism, stigmatization, job termination, and other kinds of rejects have the power to compromise the quality of people's lives. As a result, people are highly motivated to avoid social rejection, and indeed, much of human behavior appears to be designed to avoid such experiences. Yet, despite the widespread effects of real, anticipated and even imagined rejections, psychologists have devoted only passing attention to the topic, and the research on rejection has been scattered throughout a number of psychological subspecialtie including social, clinical, developmental, and personality psychology. This volume brigns together contributors whose work is on the cutting edge of rejection research, providing a readable overview of recent advances in the field. In doing so, it not only provides a look at the current state of the area, but also helps to establish the topic of rejection as an identifiable area for future research.

Tap the power of courage and achieve greater clarity, confidence, and satisfaction in your work and life Tap in to the inspirational motivation of best-selling author, life coach and media personality, Margie Warrell. Stop Playing Safe is a call to action for anyone who has ever felt that their work was not revealing their true potential for personal progression and career development. It will give you the conviction and courage to become bolder in your career, to perform better and enjoy your work more. Margie points out that ‘fear’ seems to be our new state of ‘normal’ as we deal with economic uncertainty, job insecurity and constant change management in the workplace. In times like these, all our instincts tell us to play safe and avoid risk. Yet courage and bold action are the keys to reaping the rewards of exceptional success in your career. Supported by case studies, insights and advice from a range of high-profile Australian and international entrepreneurs, Stop Playing Safe shares tactics you can put into practice to achieve personal fulfilment and professional success. It will help you clarify your career purpose and maximise your work value. It offers solutions for dealing with change management and will encourage you to pursue your career goals with renewed vigour and empowerment. Margie Warrell grew up on a dairy farm in rural Australia and has lived in the US She is the best-selling author of Find Your Courage and CEO of Global Courage Her clients include the United Nations Foundation, NASA, Ernst & Young, Bechtel, Best Buy, Accenture, AOL, Covidien, ADT, United Healthcare, and ExxonMobil You will keep coming back to this book as you move forward in your career, using it as a ready reference to progress through each stage and tackle each new challenge. "Adapting to change an taking chances are critical to your success. This book will help you with both. Get it, read it, enjoy the results." – Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus and The Seed. “Stop Playing Safe will help you harness the courage to take the risks that make sense-and give you the success you want." - Randy Gage, Author of Risky Is the New Safe “Practical, powerful, and inspiring. In uncertain times, it's a guidebook you can't afford not to read as it spells out exactly how to handle your challenges and find the confidence to speak up, adapt and get ahead in the new economy. Everyone in your company should read it!" - Suzi Pomerantz, author, Master coach, and CEO of Innovative Leadership International. “Stop Playing Safe is one of those rare books that is at once original, inspirational, and above all, useful.” - Bill Treasurer, President of Giant Leap Consulting and author, Courage Goes to Work. "Stop Playing Safe provides a roadmap to navigate uncertainty and find the courage to create meaningful changes in your workplace, career and life." - Rebecca Heino, Professor of Management, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University “Margie Warrell provides powerful and practical advice for overcoming our innate fear of risk and vulnerability. It bears reading and re-reading for all who strive to become their best selves." - Dr Gordon Livingston, Author of Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart "Margie is a true expert on the science of success. Her new book is both inspiring and practical. It's a powerful manual for creating the life of your dreams.” - Siimon Reynolds, author of Why People Fail

"Since he was a graduate student in the early 1980's, Arthur Gonzalez, an American artist, saved his rejection letters after making them into cathartic art by retaliating with reactionary drawings. With tongue in cheek, the results are often humorous, ironic and cynical. The ability to stay upright once rejection hits, marks the longevity of a career. This book is a chronicling of such an endeavor"--P. 1.

"Social pain is the experience of pain as a result of interpersonal rejection or loss, such as rejection from a social group, bullying, or the loss of a loved one. Research now shows that social pain results from the activation of certain components in physical pain systems. Although social, clinical, health, and developmental psychologists have each explored aspects of social pain, recent work from the neurosciences provides a coherent, unifying framework for integrative research. This edited volume provides the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary exploration of social pain. Part I examines the subject from a neuroscience perspective, outlining the evolutionary basis of social pain and tracing the genetic, neurological, and physiological underpinnings of the phenomenon. Part II explores the implications of social pain for functioning in interpersonal relationships; contributions examine the influence of painkillers on social emotions, the ability to relive past social hurts, and the relation of social pain to experiences of intimacy. Part III examines social pain from a biopsychosocial perspective in its consideration of the health implications of social pain, outlining the role of stress in social pain and the potential long-term health consequences of bullying. The book concludes with an integrative review of these diverse perspectives"--Publicity materials. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Who hasn’t felt the sting of rejection? It doesn’t take much for your feelings to get hurt—a look or a tone of voice or certain words can set you ruminating for hours on what that person meant. An unreturned phone call or a disappointing setback can really throw you off your center. It’s all too easy to take disappointment and rejection personally. You can learn to handle these feelings and create positive options for yourself. Don’t Take It Personally! explores all forms of rejection, where it comes from, and how to overcome the fear of it. Most of all, you’ll learn some terrific tools for stepping back from those overwhelming feelings. You’ll be able to allow space to make choices about how you respond. —Understand the effect that anxiety, frustration, hurt, and anger have on your interactions with others. —De-personalize your responses and establish safe personal boundaries that protect you from getting hurt. —Practice making choices about the thoughts you think and the ways you respond to stressful situations. —Understand and overcome fear of rejection in personal and work relationships. Elayne Savage explores with remarkable sensitivity the myriad of rejection experiences we experience with friends, co-workers, lovers, and family. Because her original ideas have inspired readers around the world, Don’t Take It Personally! has been published in six languages.