Our Own Worst Critic

We are “Our Own Worst Critic” in everything we see ourselves do, I definitely almost always run myself down when I shouldn't. I am lucky to have friends who see me as I should be and encourage me in all possible ways.

I always tell friends who find fault with themselves the “Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder” and if someone gives you positive comments then you should always go with them.

The only criticism you should accept is constructive criticism. By all means, tell me why I am wrong, but also tell me how to put these things right.

I have been associated with managers, peers, and people that I know who have told me what I am doing is rubbish. I always ask them to tell me why and they just will not or cannot quantify what they see wrong with me. This still hurts, but more and more I have learned to put these sorts of things very low on my priority list.

I do this by taking the huge amount of positive comments and love that I get from people that matter to me.

Why is it we can get a thousand compliments and one bad comment and the one bad comment is the one that sticks. It also hurts when the person who made that comment is accepted or even championed by your friends, and you are expected to forget about it or take it on the chin. I can probably say this but my brother is a perfect example of this , he has done so much harm, but people still tell me to forgive him because he is family. I can’t because I know he will take the first opportunity he can to cause more harm and make out to people he has been wronged.

I see myself as overweight and ugly but my friends see me as a great friend and even ruggedly handsome. Seriously, whose opinion should I take? For me it’s always the latter. I speak with friends who are not confident about their writing or body image or social acceptance and really they are just in the same position as me , worried that they cannot cut the mustard in one situation or another.

I point out that we are our own worst critic because we are with ourselves twenty four ours a day seven days a week. We see every mistake we make and feel worse when someone points out a mistake we have made and not noticed. No one who succeeded at something did it without mistakes.

If you are unsure of anything in your life talk to friends, mentors and peers who are positive in their outlook.

Although not necessarily easy, try and chat and maybe become Facebook friends with people you see encouraging others and have possibly been complimentary about your work. Never let your insecure feelings hurt you/.

It may be your creation is really not fit for purpose, only you can know that, and in that case bin it. Lots of my work has ended up in the trash. Maybe your creation is not fit for purpose but remember YOU ARE. Bin it and start again.

One of the things that hurt me is the fact that lots of my friends often get top stories, but I don’t so I feel they probably want nothing to do with me, I certainly feel that I am just tolerated by Vocal. However, my Top Story friends are always encouraging me and actually assume I must have a lot of Top Stories and that shows the esteem I must be held in.

Never put yourself down, only take constructive criticism, chat with others, surround yourself with positives and you will succeed.

That's what I do, and it is a great template to move forward and to succeed.