"Three of us were working on separate bids for the same account. I put my all into it, but they chose to go with my colleague's proposal instead of mine. This was fine. I was happy for them and the team as a whole. Even though I was proud of my proposal for the bid, I was interested in learning what it was about my colleague's proposal, and after learning from my leaders why, I learned what I could from my colleague and applied what I learned to my skills. I didn't see that rejection as a rejection. I saw it as a growth opportunity."

"I was up for a promotion, and my immediate supervisor informed me I was a shoo-in for the position. My spouse and I went out to celebrate, and while we were out, I got a text from a coworker that they'd unexpectedly gotten promoted to the position. It turned out that the supervisor who told me I'd practically landed the position just favored me and wanted me to get the promotion but truly didn't know. I should have remained objective and not immediately believed what I wanted to hear. I'd already come to terms with the fact that there was little growth opportunity with that company and started preparing to move on. But that last-minute hope that I was going to get that promotion took me off guard, and I thought it would be easier than hunting for another opportunity elsewhere. In the end, I know in my heart it wouldn't have been the best career move. So in this regard, I was saved from myself."