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Why should we accept criticism?

In the same way we work to be open and accepting when we fit, these are qualities that are helpful to bring into the challenges of daily life. One of them is the challenge of receiving criticism.

Whether or not it’s warranted, many of us find criticism difficult to hear. We often take it to heart becoming hard on ourselves, defensive hurt, and even self deprecating. Our judging mind jumps in with pointed self criticism, leaving us feeling embarrassed, disappointed, or like we failed.

It’s important to remember that criticism is often constructive and meant to help us thrive, and improve rather than hurt us, learning how to listen to it openly and receptively helps us become less defensive less emotional, so that we don’t miss the point of what’s being said. Of course not all criticism is constructive still listening to all of it openly allows us to respond from a calm nonreactive place.

So how do we accept criticism?

When a boss, friend or family member shares words that feel pointed or hurtful. Well, we can start by taking a few deep conscious breaths while the person we’re talking to is speaking. We can use the breath as a tool to comas, as we tried to remain open, and not take things personally, even if it feels person.

It can also be supportive to rest a hand somewhere that feels grounded, like our belly or chest. The simple gesture can help us feel safe and remain open, so that we can truly listen to the words being said, without shutting down or interrupting. And if we’re overwhelmed or need time to absorb their criticism.

It’s perfectly okay to ask for some space and time to reflect, creating a bit of distance allows us to acknowledge our feelings, and to hold them with compassion. The idea in taking the space is to create a calmer, clearer state of mind, from which we can process what was said, with less judgement, noting the valid points, and letting go of those that don’t serve us.

We can choose which parts to disregard and which parts to use as feedback, the critique becomes an opportunity for growth and self improvement.

So the next time you find yourself on the receiving end of criticism, reflect on the following words of wisdom, take criticism seriously, but not personally. If there is truth, or merit and a criticism, try to learn from it. Otherwise, let it roll right off you gently come back.

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Is good to be wrong!

What if tell you is good to be wrong?
It can sounds controversial, right?
But let’s think about the unexpected upside of being wrong. One of the universal struggles of life is our resistance to being wrong.

Photo by George Becker on Pexels.com

Whether we’re pitching an idea or defending an opinion. We often feel a strong need to be right and this tendency is reinforced by our cultural conditioning, which tells us that the person who is wrong is weak and foolish, while the person who is right is strong and capable.

Let’s say while in a discussion at work, we’re presenting an idea for how to solve a key problem. As we face opposing opinions. Even the thought of being perceived as wrong can stir up feelings of embarrassment and anger. But this resistance to being wrong causes us stress and suffering. It strengthens our ego and reinforces closeness to the world around us.

Often in order to be right. We won’t even listen to others opinions. So we miss out on opportunities to learn and grow. But it’s not our desire to be right, that’s the problem. It’s our response to being wrong.

We need to see being wrong, not as a defect or weakness, but as a natural part of our path. A sign that we’re learning and evolving. The Mindfulness practice for example encourages us to challenge our need to be right through the principle of beginner’s mind, beginner’s mind teaches us to approach challenges people and conflicts with an open mind and heart. It teaches us that every moment is an opportunity to see the world as new with a childlike curiosity and openness.

So in that same debate at work, we can say to ourselves, before I commit to my idea.

‘Why don’t I listen to the other perspective?

Who knows, perhaps I may be wrong. Maybe there’s something I can learn a new way of seeing things.’

When we let go of our need to be right, we become less authoritative and more curious, we declare fewer opinions, and ask more questions.

As the author Kathryn Schulz said:

“Far from being a mark of indifference or intolerance wrongness is a vital part of how we learn and change things to error, we can revise our understanding of ourselves and amend our ideas about the world.”

However disorienting difficult or humbling, our mistakes might be, it is ultimately wrongness. Not rightness, that can teach us who we are.

A person who knows it does not know, it is infinitely wiser than a person who thinks it knows, without knowing anything. (it was a tweet that I uploaded a few days ago)

Think about that…

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How to get concentrated during the ‘Storms’?

From time to time, our concentration can unfold with welcome ease. When we arrive somewhere and close our eyes, our body feels grounded our breath peaceful, our mind clear, but much of the time, it requires effort to relax and stay present.
Sometimes our entire posture can feel like a battle against a restless body and distracted mind and his battle can be especially hard. When we carry strong emotions from our day into our meditation or even before sleep, the emotions like fear, or anger.
They can come with the force of a ‘Storm-front’ throwing us off balance and making it feel impossible to stay and rest.
So in these moments of volatile emotions, our breath, and especially the exhale, conserve as an anchor.
Just as Dolly Parton said…

“Storms make trees take deeper roots”.


So when you’re faced with a gust of emotion that threatens to sweep you away. Imagine yourself strong and rooted, like a tree in the midst of a storm.

Photo by Daniel Watson on Pexels.com


Though the branches and leaves may thrash wildly in the wind and rain. The trunk remains steady and grounded. Its roots anchored deeply into the earth.
So whenever you need to call on the grounding quality of your exhales to find your centre, strong emotions may still be present, they may still stir up the leaves and rattle the windows. But with grounding, you can harness the strength to face the storm, and ride it out.

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Simplicity the size of the world. A brief reflection…

On this important occasion of Earth Day. It is important to talk about gratitude, between to-do lists, laptops and airports, we often forget to pause the ground, and reflect on how astonishing our planet is.

We can become so immersed in this modern existence, we lose our connection with nature, but the act of connecting with nature is vitally important, it infuses us with humility, responsibility, and gratitude, many astronauts have recounted that when they view Earth from space, they experience a shift in awareness, they instantly understand on a profound level, that our planet is tiny, fragile and precious.

They call this experience, ‘the overview effect.’

So as we reflect on it together, try bringing that image into your mind’s eye, as though you’re looking down on Earth from space.

Notice the paper-thin atmosphere in developing this tiny ball observed the vivid blue oceans, the swirling white clouds.

The textured green and brown surface of the continents.

Now let’s zoom in a little closer.

Down below the cloud cover, as we saw above the landscape. Notice the rich green forests, sprawling between towering mountains.

Look around and marvel at the beauty and harmony all around you. The Wonder is elements and conditions that support and enrich our lives.

Think of the joy of swimming in the ocean, hearing the songbirds and feeling a summer breeze across your face.

Think of every drop of water you drink every breath of air, you inhale, every morsel of food, you enjoy.

Think of the beauty of a butterfly or a cuddle with a cat, recognise that it all came from this incredible planet.

When we actually take time to reflect on how miraculous our world is, it is difficult not to experience reverence and gratitude.

Albert Einstein said: “There are two ways to live as if nothing is a miracle, or as if everything is a miracle”.

So today, find some time to connect with this planet.

As you stroll in with the trees, see the miracle and every plant and creature. Every gust of wind and beam of sunshine. Everybody blade of grass and drop of rain, as you hear the chirps of the robins and smell the scent of the lilacs.

Allow your breath to slow your gaze to deepen your heart to fill in. Remember you’re not a visitor here. The Earth is your return address in the universe. You are a citizen of the interconnected mesh of life on Earth, beautiful and complex, and billions of years in the making.

I hope you enjoyed this reflection, thank you for your time here.

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Problems with productivity? Never more!

I remember the date 03/03/2010 when I had my first heart attack. And when I woke up, in the bed of the hospital, I was reflecting on my dreams, my life and trying to understand why I was there, if I did not even have an addiction or chronic issues.

I was only  15 years old!

After taking over all the treatment stages and psychologically recovered I have started to dedicate my time learning how to optimize and improve my time management.

So by that, I have created a personal method which I could adapt to a new routine and productively upgrade my day and better focus on my objectives that I wanted to reach.

The result?

Yeah, it worked! And nowadays it is often I get invited by companies for talking about this topic and debates about how to improve a routine and the daily productivity.

Well, the first step is underestimated by some people, because they think they don’t have time or it’s unnecessary, but it does have a hugely positive effect when applied.

Reflect/Meditate before getting sleep.

Reflecting about your day, what worked or went wrong. What need to be fixed or what lifted you down. What made your day… Achievements…

What your body is telling you.

When you do a self-scan and let go of the things that need to go you save energy for those things which matter.

After that, the second step is to plan the next day.

Take short notes, clear and objective about what has to be done in priority order.

Avoid longs sheets of to-do lists. Allow spaces on your day for unpredictable situations, things that can disturb your day, however, in this way it will not disturb your progress or have a great day. By the way, with this space, you can also use it for doing things in advance or tasks that were supposed to be done later.

Important to remember those two first steps must be done before sleep, every single day, far from your mobile or on the silence mode, the reason is for you to get concentrated and focus on that with a time dedicated to you.

Begin the day with intention!

When the alarm clock goes off do not turn the ‘snooze’ on. Get up!

Turn on the light of your room or go to the toilet ‘splash’ water on your face and after drink some water to hydrate.

Get far the indisposition and laziness from you!

Nobody wakes up motivated every day, but when you have the intention of having an amazing day, the motivation comes after you!

Exist a right time to get up?

I would say it is not. Because this depends on your routine, however, your daily plan can be customizable but non-negotiable. You cannot and should not negotiate with your success or tasks. It will postpone and delay your results even more.

Watch out!

After all, during the morning on the next day, I still recommend keeping your phone away and if possible practice meditation, exercises and reading.

By the way, during the rest of the day will happen so many things that will take and consume your time and focus. So start the day by adding knowledge and health to you and by that start your day completing the tasks that you planned the previous day.

When finishing each task, put a mark on each of them it will help you to get a visual notion of your production and the flow of your day.

THE BEST PART OF THE DAY

Celebrate and treat yourself after your successful day and have completed all of your tasks, educate your brain and your body to understand that they deserve a resto or whatever you decide as a treat.

You are not a robot or a machine there will be days that will be not possible to complete everything that you expect but do not get upset because of that. Just do not allow that to become a routine and consume your life.

Well, these are some of the examples that I use on my day for improving my concentration and productivity. If will work for you? Depend on you, application and adaptation with the things that make sense to you.

I hope I have helped.

Tell me what do you think about those methods? Which are the methods that you use for improving your day and make it even better?

Comment below I am interested to know.

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How to improve your work environment?

Who never faced an awkward situation at work with colleagues or even with the manager or boss?

However, in business life, it is so important we know how to master and guide our Emotional Intelligence.

A stressful work environment can generate disagreement and conflicts.

And in this condition, we can lose the human sense, our connection towards those who we work with.

The practice of kindness is one way we can connect more deeply with our colleagues and as we extend feelings of good things towards those who we work with, it opens our hearts to them making it easier to feel compassion and appreciation for them so that even if we have a disagreement we are still able to step back and see the other person as completely deserving of our respect and compassion.

As we practice this loving-kindness for the people who work by our side we strengthen our sense of connection and community at the workplace and find more happiness in our work.

That means as long as we are strictly connected to the idea of being a positive attitude we do can add value to others around us and also transmit that energy to them. By that, we will be able to build a team environment and a good relationship with the group. 

The more we genuinely care and empathize with others the greater are our own happiness and our peace.

I hope you have enjoyed this content and it helped you in some way, so please do not forget to follow my blog and also feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn that I will attach my link on the icon in below.