"All the world's a critic"

The saying goes "All the world's a critic" and to a certain extent it is true. We all have to deal with criticism in our daily lives
Some of it well done and others not so well done.
Some of it will seem to be personal attack and it may well be.
Others will feel like a personal attack but is not intentional just done by someone who lacks personal skills.

We can not control the way the criticism is delivered or the intent. All we can do is control how we respond to the criticism. Will it grow us, will it wound us, will it wound us then eventually grow us. This reminded me of an old story:

The Donkey and the Well: A Fable for Our Time

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out a way to get him out. Finally he decided it was probably impossible and the animal was old and the well was dry anyway, so it just wasn't worth it to try and retrieve the donkey. So the farmer asked his neighbours to come over and help him cover up the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well.


At first, when the donkey realised what was happening he cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down and let out some happy brays. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well to see what was happening and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was shaking it off and taking a step up. (Shifting)

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, to everyone's amazement, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

We are all going to receive criticism. Some of it we deserve, some of it we won't, but in the end it is what we do with it that counts. Will we we allow it to be a springboard to growth or will we allow it to wound us or stunt us?

So next time you feel or know you are being criticised remember the Donkey and Well. Will it bury you or will it be a stepping stone to growth. Ultimately the responsibility for your choice is yours not the critics.