No one likes to hear negative feedback, yet, it’s unavoidable. Wanted or unwanted, people will give us their opinions based on their own perspective, and not everyone will like what you do or what you say. I get negative feedback regularly, and have found an approach that helps me to handle my emotions in a more positive way.
I literally say to myself, “Ouch. That hurts!”
Then I say (this is the hard part), “Let me move my ego aside while I simultaneously hold the discomfort of this pain, and use it to my advantage.”
I then consider if they have a point. Can I see where they are coming from? Can this spark a new perspective? Or is it an opinion I want nothing to do with? Negative feedback is essential for growth, and approaching it in this way can help us gain from the pain, and avoid a downward spiral of insecurity.
