Handling criticism

Hello All,

Happy Tuesday! Hopefully everyone survived their Monday, somedays surviving a Monday is easier said than done! Or is that just me? I always get excited on Monday's for the coming week and then on the same note a little bit depressed about the things I did not manage to get done the previous week. It's a never ending cycle.

I came across a great article to share with you all by Heather Wagner of Form+Function about how to handle criticism from co-workers. I have a tendency to not see criticism for what it is and to instead take it more personally than I should. This often results in not receiving the original intended message and a cry fest on my part. Criticism, when done in a healthy and constructive way can be a good motivator for personal growth and change but when done in a harsh or negative way it can invoke self doubt and...sheer terror about what other people think, AGGHHHHH! I have shared my thoughts on criticism before (here) and I'll be the first to say that damn, that stuff is tough! I tend to get defensive when someone criticizes me, my business, my products, my shoes, my hair, you name it I can pry figure out some way to get ruffled feathers over it. It has been a struggle for me, one that in fact I am still working on, but I have come to realize that without criticism I am not going to grow. And, more so, by welcoming criticism, from those with good intentions, I can learn so much and what's more is that someone is taking the time to notice something about me, the way I run my business, how I do my hair, or whatever it was that invoked a reaction. That alone should make me feel good, just being noticed enough to elicit a response.

Cheers, and happy Tuesday folks!