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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

How to receive criticism

I'm one of those people who react badly to criticism. I don't mean to -- it's an ingrained habit for me to respond with fear and defensiveness instead of remaining calm and listening. Probably goes back to some trauma in my childhood. But you see, in reality I welcome constructive criticism because it gives me a new perspective on myself and helps me grow or change in positive ways. 



So I thought about how I could overcome my knee-jerk reactions and instead of feeling threatened, move more quickly to a space of reason and openness. The result was the six-step process you see above. I believe that by consciously following these steps I will be able to improve the way I receive criticism, protect my relationships with those who offer me a chance to know myself better, and implement healthful changes more rapidly.

What do you think -- would this process work for you, too?