You Want To Be Criticized!

I used to have a major problem with people giving me feedback. I used to take it really personally and get all butt hurt over it. I would sulk and pout and let it take me into a horrible spiral of self-doubt. I would snap at people who criticized me thinking they meant to hurt my feelings.

Thankfully, I didn't stay a moody whiny teenager forever.

You see, criticism doesn't always come in nice pragmatic packaging. Sometimes a person can say something pretty bluntly and it hurts (such as, "Wow. That's a really big zit on your face!" or "That song you wrote was pretty boring."). It's easy to take that kind of feedback personally. Really. I know. I understand.

But other times, criticism comes in a more constructive form (as in: "I liked this part of your painting, and what if you added something here to make this color a little richer?"). This is a little easier to take less personally.

But the thing is, you need to listen to both.

Both types of criticism have something to offer - an opportunity. They offer an opportunity to get better - to become awesome.

I will openly admit it took me time to get over myself and recognize the opportunity that feedback provides. Sometimes I still struggle with listening to certain kinds of feedback, BUT I always listen and think about what a person is telling me. Now, I don't have to do anything about that feedback, but I do need to listen.

I've even gotten to the point where I openly solicit for feedback (unfortunately I don't always get it, but still, I ask!). The more feedback and criticism you get, the more awesome you can be. And if you're strong enough to realize the information you're receiving has nothing to do with you, then this can be a really good thing.

To be perfectly honest here, I think it is impossible to be impressively awesome without criticism. The reason is you can't make those huge strides in whatever you're doing because you're not able to learn the big lessons as well without some outside help. An outside eye is incredibly important in allowing you to see the changes you need to make in order to take yourself to the next level in whatever you're doing.

With this in mind, the next time someone criticizes you (even if they do it in a blunt tactless way), listen and thank them. The information they give you could be just what you need to become impressively awesome.