Rejections help us grow stronger

Being rejected sucks. Whether it was by your fifth grade crush, that role in a play you really wanted, at a job interview, or just simply being told no.

No matter how big or small, we have all been rejected at least once in our lives, and it stings. That’s exactly what National Sorry Charlie Day is made for.

Taking place annually on April 6, this National Day has us reflect and recall how we overcame past rejections. Some can be brutal, such as break-ups, but we get to see how we grew and what we learned from these rejections.

The phrase “Sorry, Charlie” is an American catchphrase commonly used as a response to someone who has just been rejected. It originates from a 1970’s Starkist Tuna commercial where “Charlie the Tuna” was very often rejected but carried on with a high head and never let it hold him back.

Cathy Runyan-Svacina created National Sorry Charlie Day out of admiration for Charlie the Tuna’s exceptional attitude, according to tockify.com. You may go through a hundred rejections before you ever succeed. Sorry Charlie Day reminds us to never give up on what we’re working towards, to use those no’s as motivation to finally get that yes.

Remember, on this day and every day, you’ve handed rejections before. Don’t let them get you down because you can only go up from there.