Don't criticize yourself. A self-fulfilling prophecy. As I look back over my life and the many struggles I've had to overcome, I can't help but think back to the advice given to me by my mother as a child: Don't criticize yourself.
Criticizing others only serves to make you feel better about yourself and gives you a sense of pride. But if you are continually criticized then eventually that becomes your reality. Instead of inspiring you to grow and become a better person, it will only serve to increase negativity in your life. It will seep into every area of your life and you will soon begin to hate yourself.
The key is to find a way to avoid being criticized. I've learned that it's best to avoid talking about other people's mistakes instead of discussing them. Instead of dwelling on what was said, divert your attention to something more positive. If you are criticized for something you didn't do, admit to yourself that you may have done something wrong but don't blame anyone else. If you do blame someone or accuse another of some wrong doing, then you are removing the power of accountability from yourself.
By removing the accountability you give yourself the power to change your behavior. Instead of saying, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake," say, "This time I did it." This removes the sense of guilt and makes it easier to change your behavior. The next time you are criticized, think back to the situation and what you did right. If you did nothing wrong, then you must admit that you know you did something right. Otherwise, you are blaming somebody else and removing the power of accountability.
Blaming somebody or denying responsibility isn't effective. Taking responsibility for your own actions removes the power of blame. And once blame is removed, it's gone. You don't have to dwell on it or rationalize it or even consider why it happened. You just remove it and move on. No more blame.
Another benefit of not receiving any more criticisms in life is that it builds confidence. If you are always criticized, you are never going to take risks because you are always afraid that somebody is going to say something bad about you. When you don't have the fear of criticism, you become a stronger person because you are not living in fear.
If you start getting plenty of positive criticism, you will start learning how to handle yourself so that you can take control over your own life. You will learn to pick out the good things in life and use criticism positively. Criticisms will strengthen you and build you up instead of tearing you down. You'll learn to love criticisms, because everyone has flaws.
So the next time you read something negative, reread the sentence again, this time without the "but." Remind yourself that what was said is only an opinion, and that everybody has a valid point. Nobody is perfect, and no matter what you do, there will be things that you will not do. You can't control other people, but you do control yourself.
Let me ask you a question. How many times have you criticized yourself or done something you know is wrong? If you are guilty of constantly doing this, I would guess you are living a life that is filled with failure, rejection, anger, fear, and everything else that does not allow you to live in peace. Don't do these things any longer.
If you continue to live this way you will end up in a constant state of depression. It will get worse until you start considering suicide. Instead of finding reasons to hate others, why don't you find reasons to admire and respect them instead? Start building your self-confidence back right now. Don't wait until later.
I can tell you this very painful fact. If you are constantly criticized, then eventually you will stop appreciating what you have already got. This will only make you feel even poorer inside. You deserve to be appreciated. Don't wait until life knocks on your door before you decide to knock it down.
You deserve love and respect and yet you are too scared to show it because of the criticism. So instead of living life from a sense of dissatisfaction and blame, try to develop a more positive perspective. Instead of seeing the criticism as an enemy try to see it for what it is. Only then will you be able to see how much you have learned from all those people that had it in their lives.
