Yesterday a sports psychologist visited our team and, of all the things he said, the one that really stuck involved rejection.

He said, “Make sure you get rejected by the right person.

“If you’re thinking of attending a certain college, make sure you get rejected by the admissions department, not by yourself.

“If you’re thinking of trying out for the team, make sure you get rejected by the coach, not by yourself.”

“If you’re dreaming of making the all-state team, make sure you get rejected by the committee and not by yourself.”

And so it went. His point, of course, was that too often people say that they can’t, when what they really mean is that they won’t even try. They are so afraid of rejection that they reject themselves.

He told the story of meeting a supermodel at a symposium. He asked her how many dates she gets. She said NONE. People are too afraid to ask her! They are getting rejected by themselves instead of by the model.

The message here is that if you don’t ask, the answer is always no. Go for it! Whether it’s college, the team, the job, or the championship, go for it!

Who knows? You may get it.