[This post is part of a series on turning rejections into motivation. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Despite ourselves, accepting things can demotivate as much as rejections can motivate us. Physics, at its core, has always meant to me studying the most basic elements of our environment: space, time, matter, forces, charge, and so on. Though today I view experiment as its equal, in graduate school I wanted to study theory -- particle theory, in particular. When I was choosing my direction in graduate school, my old undergraduate adviser pointed out to me how little money there was in theory. Without money, there…

[This post is part of a series on turning rejections into motivation. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Growing out of its start-up phase and in a recession, Submedia's needs expanded beyond what my skills could handle a few years after we incorporated -- physics trains you well to develop products, and passion will carry you far, but not knowing the value of a balance sheet and not even having taken a class in management, marketing, or finance can hold you back. I wanted to keep working with the medium while no longer CEO. The company, having promised returns to its investors, was only…

[This post is part of a series on turning rejections into motivation. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] A PhD in physics is a challenge by any measure. Choosing to start the major in your junior year makes catching up that much harder. I felt I was always catching up, filling in details I missed having had to teach myself required classes from a textbook over the summer. Many physics majors know what they want to pursue when they start and finish college with twenty or thirty math and physics classes. Though I was always good at math and science, I hadn't yet learned…

[This post is part of a series on turning rejections into motivation. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] Ultimate Frisbee was one of the great passions of my life. I played for most of twenty years, competing at Nationals, Worlds, and playing with some of the best players in the game. I played in high school, though we didn't know the rules then. If you don't know the sport, do yourself a favor and find a way to watch one at the highest level. It's beautiful, incredibly athletic, and fun. Joining Uptown Local, the Columbia College team, was one of the first things I…

[This post is part of a series on turning rejections into motivation. If you don't see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you'll get more value than reading just this post.] We've all been demoralized and discouraged by rejection. Have you ever been energized and motivated by one? Has one ever been the driving force behind a major projects in your life? So-called failures are often the learning opportunities launching the successes of many of the most successful people I've known or heard of. I presume you've found that pattern too. Rejections can work the same way, motivating you to succeed beyond what they expected you to. In my case, some of the most rewarding parts of…