4 proven ways to make rejection less painful

4 proven ways to make rejection less painful4 proven ways to make rejection less painfulBrian Sonia-Wallace, a poet, recentlyemerged as the winner of the Mall of Americas Writer-in-Residence Contest, as pspecies of the famous malls25th birthday celebration. Sonia-Wallace has racked up many prestigious residencies on his resume,as pointed out by The New York Times- and while part of it is talent, part of it is also sheer doggedness.Sonia-Wallace was selected from thousands of entrants to He will to spend five days deeply immersed in the Mall atmosphere while writing on-the-fly impressions. He plans to write a whopping 125 poems from June 14-18, 2017, which works out to about 3 poems every hour if he works an eight-hour day. Hell have four nights in a hotel, a $400 gift card to eat and drink, and will receivea modest honorarium.But Sonia-Wallace has melded art and commerce expertly for some time, racking up fellowships in volume. Hereportedly had residencies as a writer, poet, or arti st for a handful of other places or companies as well Amtrak (in 2016), the City of dann lass uns Angeles (in 2016), the National Parks System (2015) and Dollar Shave Club (2015), among others.However, as Matt Stevens points out in a recent article in The New York Times, Sonia-Wallace doesnt seem to have anything up his sleeveInterviews with Mr. Sonia-Wallace and mall officials uncovered no collusion, conspiracy or cabal. Mr. Sonia-Wallace, a 27-year-old recovering theater nerd, turned out to be disappointingly normal. He seems to be just another guy trying to string together enough work to make a living doing what he loves, Stevens wrote.While the poet seems to have relied on raw talent and/or a huge stroke of luck in his career, there are a few things you can take away from his approach to getting the jobs he wants.Immerse yourself in inspiring workSonia-Wallace clearly loves what he does, which makes him able to do a lot of it. As the RENT Poet, he writes poetry for people in per son at weddings, festivals, business events and more, either by himself, or with a group of poets called Melrose Poetry Bureau.In September 2014, he took a crazy challenge, as he puts it on his website to solely use the money he earned from writing poems to pay his rent. Sonia-Wallace has crafted poetry for Google, Los Angeles Library Foundation, The Broad Stage and more. His first bookcame out in 2016.Keep up the hustle Apply for everything that looks goodEvery professional dream you have wont pan out, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt try. Many people rule themselves out of the running for jobs even before they apply. They discourage themselves into believing they would never have a chance.Sonia-Wallace told The New York Times he does the opposite he understands the reality of the application process and keeps at it anyway.For everything on the rsum, there are nine other things I applied to with projects that I was really excited about that never happened, Sonia-Wallace told the p ublication.The difference in his success is that hes resilient and keeps going, despite the rejections. That helps raise his number of wins.Stay true to your missionUsing your work to benefit help others can fulfill both you and the peoplearound you. Sonia-Wallace has a popularInstagram.Sonia-Wallace commented on being named the winner for the Mall of Americas Writer-in-Residence contest in a news release, showing that his lifes work serves a purpose for others- even if it means working on his birthday.I want to bring poetry back into peoples everyday livesWe think of poems as this elite art form, but their roots go back to the dawn of self-expression and communication. The typewriter is my hook it gets people engaged. From there, conversations can flow that awaken the inner storyteller in everyone. Im excited to bring my model of poetry as a service, as a gift, to help celebrate Mall of Americas birthday. As a bonus, my actual birthday is during the residency, on June 17 Sonia-Wa llace said.Sonia-Wallace doesnt see himself as another writer struggling to survive, but as someone whose work could help change the world. Reframe your own work for the good it may do, and it could help you now and well into old age.Giving your time to others can be good for you.A 2000 Study in the Journal of Gerontology Social Sciencesfound that older volunteers experienced greater increases in life satisfaction over time as a result of their volunteer hours than did younger adult volunteers, especially at high rates of volunteering. Older adults experienced greater positive changes in their perceived health than did younger adult volunteers.Recognize what you bring to the tableEven given the unconventional nature of his work,Sonia-Wallace seems to be aware of the luxuries his standing affords him - and he works hard anyway.He talked about how he sees his privileges as a jumping-off point to do even better. In an 2016 interview with Medium, Sonia-Wallace examined the advantages h e has in life and spoke about how he handles them.Im a young white man, I come from a supportive middle class family, I got a degree without debt, and I worked at a nice white collar job and saved up money for a couple years before embarking on this path. Most of my friends would not be able to do what I do, because they have actual responsibilities. I am allowed to live in blissful poverty like some sort of capitalist monk because of my incredible support network and the way I am perceived in society, Sonia-Wallace wrote.Sonia-Wallace hasfound a way to get paid forsatisfying his creative passion.