Reflection
I’ve often wondered how many people have given up on something great and important because of criticism from another.
I’ve always been sensitive to criticism. I wouldn’t say I like criticism, but it is a part of life when you intend to make a difference.
I remember joining a business peer group very early in my role as the President of our company. The other members of the group were veteran business owners. I was the young pup. In essence, we served as a board of advisors for each other.
We would meet once a month for an entire day and devoted most of the day to helping each other handle challenges we were facing. But, of course, one of us always had a more significant challenge than the rest, and we would spend most of our time helping that person…and for the longest time, that person was me. One of the group members eloquently nicknamed me “stupid-sh$$” because my business acumen back then was weak. He called me that name in good humor, and I look at him as one of my key mentors during the years I spent leading the business.
Fact
I learned more about business from those meetings than from any other experience because the members loved me enough to tell me the truth. And I disliked their criticism enough that I tried harder to do things better.
Criticism can either shut us down or motivate us up…it’s a choice.
Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed.” (ESV)
Proverbs 19:20, “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.” (ESV)
Jay@EagleLaunch.com
