Chances are, everyone has—at one time or another—felt the stings of rejection. Far too many people give those experiences undeserved, negative power that denies their self-worth. This talk flips that script and helps the listener discover the benefits of feeling rejected. Patty is a wife, a mother of three, a step-mother of three, a grandmother of nine and a great-grandmother of three. She has been married to Dave, a former professional baseball player/coach, for 50 years and because of his career, has lived in over 40 cities, ranging from California to New York. Her three sons followed in their father’s footsteps, and all were drafted into professional baseball. One remains in the game today. After retiring from teaching high school speech, theater, debate and forensics, Patty split her time between Kansas and Mexico where she volunteers for local orphanages. She speaks professionally and writes a weekly religious column for three area newspapers. In her spare time, she plays tennis and Pickleball, reads, hangs out with family and friends and roots for the Kansas City Chiefs. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx