A friend once told me bluntly: "You’ve messed up! You’re wasting your time. Do something with your life."
Who wants to hear that? Nobody. But here’s the real question: what matters more—feeling good about where you are or facing the truth?
By nature, we hate criticism. It’s uncomfortable. But that doesn’t mean we should avoid it.
I’ve been fortunate to have people in my life who weren’t afraid to tell me the hard truths. They cared enough to risk offending me because the consequences of staying in the dark were far worse. And they were right.
I needed that criticism. I had terrible spending habits that needed fixing. I overestimated my abilities and had to be brought back to reality. Without those wake-up calls, I wouldn’t have grown.
So here’s the point: don’t just tolerate criticism—invite it into your life. Ask questions like:
"How do you think I can improve?"
"What are my weaknesses?"
"If you were in my shoes, what would you do differently?"
Sure, you might argue, "I know myself better than anyone." And while that’s true in some ways, it’s not always the case. Sometimes, we’re blind to our own flaws. It’s easier to ignore them than to face them. Maybe we’re even complacent. Think of a drug addict who keeps saying, “Just one more time, and I’ll quit tomorrow.” It’s a cycle of denial.
A friend once told me, "You’re terrible with money. You make awful buying decisions." He wasn’t wrong, and I needed to hear it.
That said, inviting criticism doesn’t mean you have to believe everything you hear. Some feedback will be off the mark. Criticism often reveals more about the person giving it than it does about you.
The key is to seek criticism from the right people—those who genuinely care about your growth and well-being. The right kind of feedback from the right people can change your life, both personally and professionally.