Happy tears 🥲🥲🥲 I myself was thinking that 99% of the time peoples criticism has nothing to do with us. And even if it does, I would also add that we need humility to accept criticism where it is true and not let our ego block it from coming through (even if it is not delivered with kindness and tact - which is hard to manage I know!)!
And where it is not justified and undue - let it be like water off a duck’s back, as they say in English!
I love that you shared the Dutch version! “You have elephant skin”: I shall never look at an elephant in the same way again. I also have a nice story to tell in connection with an elephant, Raksha - I hope to share it with you one day!
Humility to accept and willingness to change, Sonal. Both of them are needed if we want to get better as souls and improve our character. I look forward to hearing your elephant story ❤️
So beautiful Raksha, and I have been on this journey too and still am, but like you, I have found more equilibrium in the chaos of being in dissonance with someone. I think it's our primal instinct, to want to be loved by all and when someone says words in a sharp, perhaps even aggressive way, it can really hurt our hearts.
However, what I find really useful to remember is that they are always only reflecting what is happening for them, in their hearts.
Often, I feel that the only way they know how to release the pain and hurt they're experiencing is by "attacking" and criticizing others.
It's a tough one but the practice of keeping grounded in love is what helps me let emotions flow through me.
There are also those whose words we may want to pay attention to as they may be exactly what we need, even if we don't think so at all at the time (thinking of my marriage here haha!)
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story, as always X
Oh absolutely, feedback is necessary for growth and our partners tend to be candid at times. Still worth listening to them, Francoise. Thank you for sharing this experience. It is wonderful to read about your journey to becoming more self-aware and resilient.
I do practice to be olifantshuid but I am a work in progress, I loose sometimes at work and family(lesser times) when some words feel so sharp and straight that they pierce the skip apart, but it helps so much to enjoy the better things in life and stay away from the shitty ones
Yeah, focus makes a big difference. Workplaces are challenging like that. I hope you write about not focusing on the stressful parts and what the good parts are for you, and how you train the mind. Thank you for sharing as always.
This is a lovely story, Raksha, and I can relate to much of it. Being sensitive to emotions is a positive, but the flip side is being too easily offended. It's taken me a while to learn how to balance that. Still working on it tbh. I love elephants too, and got to know one in particular in Cambodia. Plus, you've taken me back to my trip to Rajasthan... wonderful!
Oh, I'd love to read that story. Hope you share :) And I'm glad you are on this journey too. We can't flip the switch right away so kudos to you for understanding that. We are all works in progress, Lisa.
Beautiful and humble.
There is no place for ego in front of a gentle giant. She trampled it away by simply blinking :)
:)
Happy tears 🥲🥲🥲 I myself was thinking that 99% of the time peoples criticism has nothing to do with us. And even if it does, I would also add that we need humility to accept criticism where it is true and not let our ego block it from coming through (even if it is not delivered with kindness and tact - which is hard to manage I know!)!
And where it is not justified and undue - let it be like water off a duck’s back, as they say in English!
I love that you shared the Dutch version! “You have elephant skin”: I shall never look at an elephant in the same way again. I also have a nice story to tell in connection with an elephant, Raksha - I hope to share it with you one day!
Humility to accept and willingness to change, Sonal. Both of them are needed if we want to get better as souls and improve our character. I look forward to hearing your elephant story ❤️
You’ll be happy to know that I did a guided meditation for students last week and included:
You have elephant skin
In the Meditation, in order to make this point that we need resilience when faced with criticism.
Jay Shetty says
Don’t let praise get to your head
Don’t let criticism get to your heart
I’m glad that the point on humility resonated as well
And I look forward to sharing my elephant story!
So beautiful Raksha, and I have been on this journey too and still am, but like you, I have found more equilibrium in the chaos of being in dissonance with someone. I think it's our primal instinct, to want to be loved by all and when someone says words in a sharp, perhaps even aggressive way, it can really hurt our hearts.
However, what I find really useful to remember is that they are always only reflecting what is happening for them, in their hearts.
Often, I feel that the only way they know how to release the pain and hurt they're experiencing is by "attacking" and criticizing others.
It's a tough one but the practice of keeping grounded in love is what helps me let emotions flow through me.
There are also those whose words we may want to pay attention to as they may be exactly what we need, even if we don't think so at all at the time (thinking of my marriage here haha!)
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story, as always X
Oh absolutely, feedback is necessary for growth and our partners tend to be candid at times. Still worth listening to them, Francoise. Thank you for sharing this experience. It is wonderful to read about your journey to becoming more self-aware and resilient.
I do practice to be olifantshuid but I am a work in progress, I loose sometimes at work and family(lesser times) when some words feel so sharp and straight that they pierce the skip apart, but it helps so much to enjoy the better things in life and stay away from the shitty ones
Yeah, focus makes a big difference. Workplaces are challenging like that. I hope you write about not focusing on the stressful parts and what the good parts are for you, and how you train the mind. Thank you for sharing as always.
This is a lovely story, Raksha, and I can relate to much of it. Being sensitive to emotions is a positive, but the flip side is being too easily offended. It's taken me a while to learn how to balance that. Still working on it tbh. I love elephants too, and got to know one in particular in Cambodia. Plus, you've taken me back to my trip to Rajasthan... wonderful!
Oh, I'd love to read that story. Hope you share :) And I'm glad you are on this journey too. We can't flip the switch right away so kudos to you for understanding that. We are all works in progress, Lisa.