556. Criticism has always helped me to Excel Creatively.......!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/criticism-has-always-helped-me-to-excel-creatively

Criticism is an indication that people like my work and do not want see any deterioration in the standard that I am maintaining. If those criticisms are taken positively there is always a chance of betterment in the quality of work done in future. Criticism can demotivate me if I take it to the heart, instead if I take it to the head and analyse I might find if there is any truth in the critics. If I indeed find an iota of slip-down I can try to correct myself. I see to it that criticism will never lower my confidence level, if it is deliberate criticism I just ignores it, as I am my best judge.   

It is said that even if you have a critic in your dream your life path will be on track. So, I think I am fortunate to have a person in flesh and blood scanning my work and in a way helping me to set right the faults that I have committed. I have never taken criticism personally, if someone does not like the way I have done a work I try to take it in a stride and move on. Even if I feel that the remarks were unfairly, I do not try to even the score with an inappropriate reaction. If I do react, it may land me in irreparable relationship damage and even cause harm to my well-being as well.

There are many occasions where I feel the criticism is too personal and, now and then, I might be right. Critics could be fallible and it is important for me to remember to not be offended by their remarks. However, a person who is yearning to excel will take criticism on board and not respond as though it is made on personal grounds. He will channelize those criticisms to work to his advantage in improving his benchmarks. If a critic is intentionally trying to hinder my work by criticizing what ever I do, unmindful of whether it is correct or not, I just ignore such a critic.

Once Lord Buddha was seated in the seat of silence. All of a suddenly, an agitated person came and started abusing and criticizing him. Lord Buddha was unmoved and remained like a silent observer throughout the ordeal. The agitated man was taken by surprise. How can he remain so quiet amidst such abuses? He asked, “Why are you not reacting to my criticism?”

Lord Buddha replied by a counter question, “Suppose you offer a gift to someone but he declines to accept the same, then to whom the gift belongs?” The man answered, “Where is the question? Undoubtedly, it will remain with the giver only.” Lord Buddha clarified, “Since I have not accepted your abuses, they remain with you only. Why should I be perturbed?”

Saint Purandaradasa one of the prominent composer and contributor to Dasa Sahitya in Kannada literature during the 16th century, writes in one of his compositions thus:

nindakarirabeku samajadali nindakarirabeku

sandigondigalali handigaliruvanthe nindakarirabeku.....

Meaning: Critics have to be there in the society just like a sounder of pigs that are present in the by lanes.....

The pigs are supposed to be the filthiest animals on earth. They live and thrive on muck, faeces and dirt. They are known to be the best scavengers that exist. In olden days the houses in villages did not have toilets and the villagers excreted in the open air. Very often excreta were cleared by these pigs and the village was kept clean. Saint Purandaradasa compares our faults to the filth and critics to pigs which clean them.  

I have to differentiate between Constructive and Destructive criticism, appreciate the constructive one and ignore the destructive...... What say????