Many people claim to be open to criticism, they request it, but they are unwilling to hear the words when they are spoken. Listening to our flaws and faults is challenging, it requires vulnerability, humility, and empathy. These are qualities that are often absent in most of the people we meet. Though we cannot change the realities of others, we may affect our own, and over time our tales may teach them to learn from their own experiences.
Most of us are aware of our dark parks and shortcomings, but we often refuse to see them. Why is this so? It hurts too much to touch old wounds, especially when we have failed to take care of them. Though some wounds may heal on their own, many do not, and when we neglect them they often fester and rot.
This is why we must actively engage our pain. We must explore our wounds to find the source of our agony. Through this introspection we can develop a relationship with our hardships. Over time we can learn to love them, so when we are granted the gift of loving criticism we can accept each wise word from the razor-sharp slash of honesty’s edge.
Outside input is a wonderful gift, but only when it is offered with harmonious intent. When it is forced upon us suddenly it becomes an insult, we react quickly and recoil. It is jarring, hurtful, and many times our reactions become unpredictable.
It is our responsibility to train ourselves for criticism so we can accept its beautiful blessings. If the time is right, and our center is wrong others will witness our insecurity and they will shy away from sharing their thoughts with us.
As humans, especially in society’s age of weakness, we do everything we can to avoid pain, even when the discomfort lasts only seconds. This fear encourages a negative wheel to rotate, and when it moves it encourages more negativity. Over time it snowballs and the hardship we attempted to avoid becomes the tree we crash into.
To be open to criticism we must take the time to create a doorway that may be opened by others. Achieving this is easier said than done, because it requires homework, self-reflection, and the willingness to see our own faults and failings. An open mind requires humility, we must possess the ability to accurately assess our value, empathize with others, and creatively navigate solutions. We must have the confidence to listen, give others time to speak, and process their words.
To accept criticism we must also have a relationship with how to give it. Sometimes we offer criticism because our ego is telling us to do so. We feel threatened, so we must insult others to protect ourselves. Sometimes we offer criticism because we lack humility and have lost sight of the gift we are attempting to give. In these moments we criticize others in ways we would never criticize ourselves. We weigh others by scales that we would never weigh ourselves by.
Accepting and granting criticism is the way to a harmonious heart. It is the path to pure peace, and wonderful intent. The more we are willing to accept critical truth into our life, the better our lives will become.
