This advice came from an article on how to be calm. I like "remember not to hear praise in a whisper - negative things in a thunder."
"Step 5: Remember not to hear praise in a whisper and negative things in a thunder. When we look at ourselves, to have a fully balanced picture and a healthy perspective on self, we must appreciate our talents as well as our growing edges. Gain a full inventory of your gifts and then look at when those very gifts (such as enthusiasm) become problematic (intrusiveness), so we can appreciate what is good about both ourselves and those situations that cause our very gifts to become burdens to ourselves and others."
Most of my young life I failed to hear praise although my mother and my sisters saw my talents and abilities, but the negative things bombarded my mind like a massive storm. It has been a difficult task, learning to appreciate my talents. It took writing them down. Making a list and realizing that I had talents. Isn't it awful that we have to grow old to learn what we had all along? Like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, we have what we need but just don't know it.
I understand. I too hear negative criticism quickly and must hear positive feedback several times before it begins to sink in. I'm glad you have finally learned to appreciate your own talents. It's a good reminder for me, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteI talk a good game DJan, but still have to catch myself when I hear the negative, convince myself that I am not that worthless person I thought myself to be. I thrive on positive feedback and grow taller, smarter, and quicker when I let myself accept it.
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