I'm sometimes amazed and embarrassed by how critical I can be -- both of other people and of myself. Even though I both teach and practice the power of appreciation (as well as acceptance, compassion and more) when I find myself feeling scared, threatened or insecure (which happens more often than I'd like it to), I notice that I can be quite judgmental. Sadly, as I've learned throughout my life, being critical and judgmental never works, feels good or leads me to what I truly want in my relationships and in my life. Can you relate to this?
I've recently been challenged by a few situations and relationships that have triggered an intense critical response -- both toward myself and some of the people around me. As I've been noticing this, working through it and looking for alternative ways to respond, I'm reminded of something I heard Louise Hay say a number of years ago. She said, "It's important to remember that people are always doing the best they can, including you."
The power of this statement resonated with me deeply when I heard it and continues to have an impact on me to this day. And although I sometimes forget this, when I do remember that we're all doing the best we can given whatever tools and resources we have, and the circumstances and situations we're experiencing, it usually calms me down and creates a sense of empathy and compassion for the people I'm dealing with and for myself.
Unfortunately, we tend to take things personally that aren't, look for what's wrong, and critically judge the people around us and ourselves, instead of bringing a sense of love, understanding, acceptance, forgiveness and appreciation to the most important (and often most challenging) situations and relationships in our lives.
When we take a step back and remember that most of the time people aren't "out to get us," purposefully doing things to upset or annoy us, or consciously trying to make mistakes, disappoint us or create difficulty (they're most likely just doing the best they can and doing what they think makes the most sense) -- we can save ourselves from unnecessary overreactions and stress. And when we're able to have this same awareness and compassion in how we relate to ourselves, we can dramatically alter our lives and relationships in a positive way.
Here are some things you can do and remember in this regard:
1.) Give people the benefit of the doubt. Most of the time, people have good intentions. Many of us, myself included, have been trained to be cautious and suspicious of others, even seeing this as an important and effective skill in life and business. However, we almost always get what we expect from people, so the more often we give people the benefit of the doubt, the more often they will prove us "right," and the less often we will waste our precious time and energy on being cynical, suspicious and judgmental.
2. Don't take things personally. One of my favorite sayings is, "You wouldn't worry about what other people think about you so much if you realized how little they actually did." The truth is that most people are focused on themselves much more than on us. Too often in life we take things personally that have nothing to do with us. This doesn't mean we let people walk all over us or treat us in disrespectful or hurtful ways. (It can be important for us to speak up and push back at times in life.) However, when we stop taking things so personally, we liberate ourselves from needless worry, defensiveness and conflict.
3.) Look for the good. Another way to say what I mentioned above about getting what we expect from other people, is that we almost always find what we look for. If you want to find some things about me that you don't like, consider obnoxious or get on your nerves -- just look for them, I'm sure you'll come up with some. On the flip side, if you want to find some of my best qualities and things you appreciate about me, just look for those -- they are there too. As Werner Erhard said, "In every human being there is both garbage and gold, it's up to us to choose what we pay attention to." Looking for the good in others (as well as in life and in ourselves), is one of the best ways to find things to appreciate and be grateful for and we remember that not everything is about us all the time.
4.) Seek first to understand. Often when we're frustrated, annoyed or in a conflict with another person (or group of people), we don't feel seen, heard or understood. As challenging and painful as this can be, one of the best things we can do is to shift our attention from trying to get other people to understand us (or being irritated that it seems like they don't), is to seek to understand the other person (or people) involved in an authentic way. This can be difficult, especially when the situation or conflict is very personal and emotional to us, however it is one of the best ways for us to liberate ourselves from the grip of criticism and judgment, and often helps shift the dynamic of the entire thing. Being curious, understanding and even empathetic of another person and their perspective or feelings doesn't mean being in agreement with them, it simply allows us to get into their world and see where they're coming from -- which is essential to letting go of judgment, connecting with them and ultimately resolving the conflict.
5.) Be gentle with others (and especially with yourself). Being gentle is the opposite of being critical. When we're gentle we're compassionate, kind and loving. We may not like, agree with or totally understand what someone has done (or why), but we can be gentle in how we approach it, talk about it and engage with them. Being gentle isn't about condoning or appeasing anyone or anything, it's about having a true sense of empathy and perspective. And, the most important place for us to bring a sense of gentleness is to ourselves. Many of us have a tendency to be super judgmental of ourselves. Sadly, some of the harshest criticism we dole out in life is aimed right at us. Another great saying I love is, "We don't see people as they are, we see them as we are." As we alter how we relate to ourselves, how we relate to everyone else and to the world around us is altered in a fundamental way.
As the Dalai Lama so brilliantly says, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." Everyone around us -- our friends, co-workers, significant other, family members, children, service people, clients and even the people we don't know or care for -- is doing the best they can, given the resources they have. When we remember this and come from a truly compassionate perspective (with others and with ourselves), we're able to tap into a deeper level of peace, appreciation and fulfillment.
Mike Robbins is a sought-after motivational keynote speaker, coach, and the bestselling author of Focus on the Good Stuff (Wiley) and Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken (Wiley). More info - www.Mike-Robbins.com
Follow Mike Robbins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikedrobbins
Viral Mehta: Building a 'Muscular Empathy'
A Guide to Cultivating Compassion in Your Life, With 7 Practices ...
Self-compassion - A Healthier Way of Relating to Yourself
Work Friends ? Guide to Relating to Others in the Workplace ...
It's simply not true that we find what we're looking for. And there's no reason to give people the benefit of one's doubts. Reality isn't under our control. I grew up believing that seeing the best in people would bring that out in them, but painfully discovered people are who they are and how I view them better be realistic. Or while I'm focused on their finer points, the dark side will nail me every time. Better to see people realistically, then accept and make conscious choices how to deal with the negative side of human nature. And have a positive attitude not because I've rearranged reality in my head but because I know I see people and situations as they are and effectively protect my own interests.
At the very beginning of a journey I just took and wrote about, I told a meditation teacher that I wanted to change from being "a neurotic Jew" to "a serene Tibetan monk." "Why would you want to do that?" he asked me. "Why not just be the best neurotic Jew you can be?" Good advice.
http://www.facebook.com/v/2128793097888
Concerning other people who complain, criticize, and or put you down, just ignore them.
I've been saying, "know the other person's heart and intentions and let that mean something to you" but I think you've said it much, much better than I could have. Thanks so much.