Handling Criticism and Praise
Many
times we analyse ourselves too much. We keep thinking, this is
happening to me, that is not happening; or I want this, and I want that;
or what I did there was so wrong, what I did here was right, etc. We
get so entangled into too many thoughts about ourselves; this we should
not do.See, when the wind blows, what happens? Everything gets carried away with it, isn’t it? Everything flies away with the breeze.
So whatever happened in the past, whether good happened or bad happened, whether right happened or wrong happened, whether pleasant or unpleasant events happened, it all happened and it is all gone now. Just like how the air comes and blows everything away, in the same way, all of life’s events come and go. But what is important is that you should not get stuck anywhere, move ahead. Just become hollow and empty, and then you will be joyful.
Tell me, is there anyone who has not had any problems? Problems come in everyone’s life. Is there anyone who has not experienced happiness? Everyone, sometime or the other has experienced happiness.
Is there anyone who has not received praise? Everyone has been praised sometime or the other. Even a dog gets praised! People say, ‘What a nice dog’.
Is there anyone who has not been criticized? Everyone has been criticized at some point or the other. Isn’t it so? Everyone gets criticized.
So if anyone praises you or criticizes you, knows that it is like the air which comes and goes. They are just some passing thoughts that came and went. Thoughts arise in peoples’ minds about you and they go. Some are good thoughts and some are bad thoughts. Now when people themselves are not going to be here forever, what permanence can you attach to their thoughts? What are you going to do with their opinions, when they themselves are not going to be there forever?
So why do you worry about some thoughts from here and there? You should just keep moving on in life. Whatever happens, just keep moving ahead, like air. The air never stops at one place, it keeps moving; water keeps flowing.
Just like how nature follows certain laws, thoughts also follow a particular pattern; they come and they go. Sometimes they bring praise and sometimes criticism. So praise and criticism are part of life. You just move ahead. Don’t get caught up in it.
|| Jai Guru Dev ||
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