Happy day Natural Health Family. I imagine everyone is doing well. With all that is happening in the world it can get confusing on what to know and what to do. Many times we lose confidence and trust when there is so much misinformation out there. So what can we do so that we can gain information that is helpful so that we can make clear decisions? Perhaps the question is what can we let go? Let’s talk about criticism and how that can influence our lives.
Can you think back to a time when you were younger that instead of labeling things and appearances as good or bad you asked the question, why? When we are at a younger stage of life we don’t have all the information to make snap judgements. This allows us to see things as they are rather than based on our own understanding. This is one reason why kids absorb information like sponges. This is great to gain new knowledge to help us throughout life but it can also be detrimental if that data is not positive or helpful and we freely accept it. Imagine how much better we could learn and retain information if we didn’t judge or criticize what information we were receiving.
Our minds are powerful. The mind can be used as a tool or instrument that helps us guide our way to better outcomes or it can be detrimental and cause us to over-analyze or judge too much. This is where destructive and constructive criticism come into play. If we allow it, the mind can see all the faults in flaws in things and people. This can be based on all the information we have learned and the mind continuously comparing between one thing and the other. However, we should not be so quick to make judgements especially if we have the time to reason it out. Many times we don’t see eye to eye with people or no two people see the same thing exactly. That is why we can take the approach of being able to understand others’ points of view before we tell them it is the wrong way to see it. Much like the saying, “ better to understand than to be understood.”
Just like any good coach knows, when they can see greatness in a player they will point out mistakes not because they are wrong but know how to get them better. This is constructive criticism. It comes from a place of seeing the good in the other rather than forcefully pointing out the bad. Everyday we are learning new information whether from events, news, social media, peers, etc. It is up to us to be able to use our discernment to see what is and go with what we feel to be true. Criticism is a double edged sword that can be used for good or bad and it is up to us to decide.
Thanks for reading.
