Mary Pouline, Author and Founder, Sapience Publications

WWW WIN-WIN-WAY

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Series 5

 Hi friends, I am Mary Pouline,

Here I am with series 5 of the “WWW – Win-Win-Way.” Get set, ready, and go!

  1. WWW – Handling negative criticism:

Today, I want to talk to you about a simple but healthy habit that great people continually cultivate and cherish. Imagine you are looking at your face in the mirror. Sometimes you notice that you look fabulous and flawless, but at other times, you don’t feel so good about what you see. If so, would you blame the mirror for it? No. Instead, you’d work on yourself and give yourself a brighter look. That’s the attitude you should have when you interact with people, whether it’s a business conversation or just a casual talk with a neighbour or friend.

The people we interact with always give us feedback about ourselves. Sometimes, this feedback is positive; at other times, it might be negative and hard to accept. However, what they saymay sometimes be true, and the truth can hurt. How would you react in such situations? How do you handle negative criticism?

Learning to accept criticism requires great maturity. There are many healthy ways of responding to negative criticism.Let me share with you just four that lead to real-life transformation.

  1. Accept corrections and criticisms gracefully and gratefully. If a friend doesn’t correct you, pay an enemy to do it – it’s worth it! Learn from your mistakes. As Winston Churchill says, “All people make mistakes; only the wise learn from their mistakes.”
  2. Winners take responsibility; only losers blame others. This is a powerful truth. The power to change the world is right inside you. Don’t waste time blaming others; start working on yourself and take control of your life.
  3. Never hurt others’ feelings. People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel. Remember, a teardrop is only one per cent water and 99 per cent feelings!
  4. Do not lose your confidence, even during critiques.As Priyanka Chopra, the former Miss Universe, once stated in an interview, ‘I won the Miss Universe contest at 18 because I was confident.’ So always wear a confident smile. It is the best ornament you can wear—and more precious than any jewellery. Stay resilient and self-assured, even in the face of criticism.

If you can do these, you will be an inspiration for all—the win-win way.   …

contd in Aalumai Sirpi Magazine