Everyone's A Critic

How do you take criticism?

Personally, that is one of the most recent things I've been working on. I've said before that forgiveness comes rather easy to me. However, there is a caveat to that remark. It's not so easy for me when it comes in the form of criticism. I can take the rudeness, being ignored or passed over. But for some reason criticism just jabs at me like a little ice pick, something you may not feel at first, but the wound lingers on for some time. Even if the criticism is well meant, I have to really work with it.

In the past I would freeze up entirely, and the scale of my subsequent reaction would be in direct proportion to whether the criticism was well meant or not, AND who was giving it (the closer the person, the worse it felt). Now I am trying to reconcile my feelings. But even if I am expecting it in some form, it is still hard to take. Maybe it goes with that sense of inadequacy we all feel. In addition to that, I feel like I am pretty self confident. I am happy with who I am. And criticism, even constructive criticism, asks me to change. I am currently struggling with the most benign of constructive criticisms. It is not saying that what I am doing is wrong, more like that what I am doing needs a parallel shift. I feel that I am a very accommodating person, and I like to go with the flow. But isn't there a point where compromising and going with the flow hits a wall? Maybe I'm making too much of it. I will attempt to apply this criticism and change this part of myself. It wouldn't hurt anything or anyone. But if I can't make this change happen, I'm not going to really be torn up about it. I will know that I made an honest effort, and accept the fact that this may be some fundamental part of me. Some aspect of my character or talent that God has placed on me and isn't meant to change. And even in this I will have to be careful that I don't use this as an excuse not to try hard to change. I thought I was pretty much done with this self discovery thing, but it looks like I may have a lot more to learn!