October 15, 2024 by Ava Tatum (‘25)
Have you seen the TikTok trend where people go up to strangers and ask them if they can borrow $100? It sounds silly but this is a real self-help method where people will look to be turned down so that they are desensitized to the anxiety of being rejected. This therapy method was so interesting that an entrepreneur named Jason Comely created a game where you have to ask for outlandish things and get rejected for 100 days. Unfortunately, I’m a person with no boundaries, I’ve won my fair share of bets and gotten paid a lot for crazy dares. But there are limits, there are certain things I would never do just because like most teens, I’m scared of rejection.
Now, I can follow the original list for 25 days, but I had an issue with some of the tasks, they weren’t teen-friendly. Like I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ll be able to do rejection 92 “Fly a Gyroplane” or rejection 80 “Test Drive an Expensive Car”, trust me you don’t want to see me test drive any car! So, I’ve created my own 25-day rejection (and also getting somewhat out of your comfort zone) challenge, and I implore you to try it out too. I’m following the same rules as the original with a special twist on a few, meaning it must be:
1. Moral/ethical
2. Legal
3. Doesn’t defy the laws of physics
4. Each rejection costs no more than $15
5. Can’t be too much of a public nuisance
Oh, one more thing, I can’t explain what I’m doing to the people around me. It kind of defeats the whole purpose of the exercise if you send this article to them afterwards.
Here’s my list!
1. Ask to borrow $10 from a stranger
2. Give $5 to a random person
3. Ask the librarian for a book recommendation
4. Ask to sit with a new group of people at lunch
5. Volunteer in class (even if you’re unsure)
6. Ask someone for a ride home
7. Ask a teacher if you can present on a topic of your choice
8. Ask someone to switch seats with you in class
9. Invite people to a party
10. Ask someone to take a picture of you
11. Offer a cookie (cupcake, pie, other baked good) to someone
12. Ask a food service worker to “surprise me”
13. Ask to observe a random class
14. Ask someone on a date
15. Request something for dinner (fast food, ice cream, snacks)
16. Send a text to someone you don’t know well
17. Go into a store/restaurant and ask if they’re hiring
18. Ask for free food/drink in the cafeteria
19. Ask someone for gum
20. Give a stranger a compliment
21. Ask a restaurant if you can take one of their cups/dishes/cutleries
22. Ask someone if you can walk with them to class
23. Request a movie people might not like
24. Audition/tryout for something
25. Ask someone to take a selfie with you
I wrote this article in two weeks, which meant I had to do at least two rejections every day instead of one every day for a month. I completed every rejection, and I was only actually rejected 6 times. My least favorite task was number 6, “Ask Someone For a Ride Home”. I just don’t like inconveniencing people, and I would’ve felt so bad if the girl I asked actually said yes. My favorite task was number 14, “Ask Someone on a Date”. I started talking to the most amazing person and we did in fact go on a date- yay!
So, what did I learn? Life is too short to be nervous about things you can’t control. Did people say no to me? Yes! Of course. But if I hadn’t at least tried, then I might have missed out on the opportunity to meet some super awesome people. I challenge everyone to live their life like it’s a rejection therapy challenge, make a game out of it! Every time you get rejected, tell yourself that it was just part of your experiment. The worst thing anyone can say is no.