Accepting & Handling Criticism

It does not matter how well you do your work or how greatly you have lived your life, the truth of the matter is, you will not be able to please everyone. While there will be people who will applaud you for what you have done and will have great praises to throw your way, you will always receive the other kind of feedback known as criticism. Some criticisms will be constructive and they are meant to build you and help you; but since you cannot pick the kind of criticism you will receive, you have to get used to being on the receiving end of bad and destructive criticism.

Shrug It Off

It is not easy to shrug off criticism and feel as though it bears you no pain, but you have to do it. It is the mature thing to do, and more importantly, being able to do this means that you are strong and secure about yourself and your capabilities. Hurtful words will always find its way to you. When this happens, you have to learn to shrug it off and just move on, ahead:

· Listen. Listen to what they have to say even if it pierces your heart greatly. Listen intently and try to absorb what they are saying in a way that will benefit you. A lot of people are too quick to reject whatever is being said against them, that they fail to see the silver lining. Stop for a while and hear what they have to say.

· Do not take it personally. Although there will be some people whose main goal is to hurt you, you should understand that not all criticism are meant to hurt and you should not take it personally. People like your professional colleagues and superiors, even family and friends, are there to see you become a better person. When they say something about your work, do not be too quick on the defensive because there might not be a fight that you have to engage in.

· Learn. After listening to what they have to say, try to look into your life to see what they mean. Try to find meaning with what they have to say and see how you can apply their criticism with your own life. Are they speaking some truth? You have to be a little honest with yourself because you can only better yourself when you admit faults and insufficiency

. Always see things from a different perspective. The criticism may be a little tough to take but if you learn from your mistakes, you can always make yourself come out on top.

· Be professional about it. It does not matter how awful the criticism was, you just have to be graceful about it. Act as if you are not affected. Frown, roll your eyes, but do not throw a fit. Better yet, give the person a smile; that is the best answer to criticism, throw back at them and show them that you are unmoved. You do not have to cry like a baby about it. You do not have to throw a tantrum and make everyone know that you are disappointed.