Criticism sucks AND
Criticism is a Tool For Becoming Your Best Self
I am not going to pretend that hearing criticism doesn’t suck. Nobody wants to find out that they are the worst performer, their partner doesn’t like their meatloaf, or that their frenemies are laughing at their favorite outfit.
Criticism is bad.
It’s so bad that it can ruin relationships and make people suicidal. Seriously.
Why You Should Learn to Love Criticism
Criticism is a fact of life. Someone somewhere is always going to have something negative to say. If you accept it and embrace it, it can become your best friend.
Think about it.
Who do you learn the most from? The homies who are on your level, the ones below you, or the ones above?
The ones above know what you want to know. By uncovering your weaknesses, and learning their strengths, you get closer to being awesome!
How We Used Criticism To Soar!
The first time I took my dance students to a dance competition, we had fun and bombed. I knew nothing about competition, but by listening to the feedback we became an award winning studio in just a few year’s time.
We went from having one person on the podium the first year to having almost everyone on the podium every year.
Feedback or Criticism – It’s All About Perspective
I love feedback. I invite it all the time because I want to grow. It allows me to give a better experience tomorrow than I did today. If I never find out what was not fabulous or what people want, I am handicapped by my ignorance.
So, the key to handling criticism is perspective.
If you see it as a sign of your failure or unworthiness, it can be crippling. If you see it as a pathway to success, it’s a gift.
Let Go of Meanness
Welcoming criticism doesn’t have to mean you accept meanness. Not all criticism is designed to help. And some of it is meant to hurt. Discernment can help you separate the two.
If it’s not objectively true, feel free to discard it.If it doesn’t feel good or right, let it go. If you don’t see the value in it, don’t accept it.
Just because someone offers you something, doesn’t mean you have to accept it or that their views are superior to yours.
Everything has two opposite sides.
If you don’t like one, flip it over and see if the other side is more to your liking.
While it’s true that people often offer criticism to bring you down, but you are completely free to use it (or not) in any way that you like. So use it to make yourself better!
Embrace those who offer useful, constructive criticism and you will learn to love it.
If you get a group of people who do that for each other, you will all inspire and uplift each other to heights you never dreamed of. So go for it!