5 Mindful Inner Explorations – Part 1 – “Criticism”

“Criticism is the practice of judging the merits and faults of something or someone in a sometimes negative, sometimes intelligible, (or articulate) way” ~ Wikipedia/Criticism

CRITICISM – Questions for your reflection…

Are you kind to yourself?

Do you observe your mind’s inner dialogue from time to time? Is there much criticism arising, of yourself or others, within your thoughts? Are you perhaps regularly passing judgement on others – how they look, what they said, how they acted?? Do you self-punish habitually by being especially hard on yourself, reliving past mistakes, or can you maybe gently encourage yourself and even offer some degree of acceptance towards these types of negative energy? Can you allow inner criticism to arise and pass away *without* believing it?

“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots” ~ Frank A. Clark

Are you able to remain at peace whilst receiving criticism from others?

How do you feel when taking criticism? Is their any tension in the mind or body when someone ‘attacks’ who you are in a negative way? Are you able to find enough inner space to hear what is being said and reflect on any truths in the other person’s message? Can you remain kind to yourself and others in the face of insults or disparaging remarks?

Stay tuned for Part-2 of this series will follow shortly and is about sleep…