well friends are telling me rejection is a normal thing
It is. Expect to get rejected another 3 or 4 times before you find someone that's into you.
The key is apathy. If you go into a romantic pursuit overthinking the hell out of it, you'll forget it up. If you go into a romantic pursuit knowing that you'll be okay no matter the outcome (aka: confidence) then most people will be attracted to that. However apathy only really comes from bitter experience, so prepare for that. Just keep putting yourself out there.