How to Receive Constructive Criticism and Feedback (without losing your $hit)

Many of us perceive ourselves to be experts in our field, but are we?  Do we know what we don't know?  And how to we come about knowing what we don't know?

In the first few days of writing here I've felt compelled to talk a lot about intuition, because I find that many lead with their minds, and not their instincts, nor their hearts, while I would suggest the art of learning and knowing are still very much more than this.

I believe that all people we are connected to and connect with are our mirrors and messengers.  How do we communicate and receive from them?  Do we listen to their feedback?  Do we encourage it?  From what perspective or level of experience is their feedback valid?

Many when they receive feedback resist it in argumentative or defensive form, and many when they provide it shame and criticize their targets as well.  In my opinion this is a low vibrating relationship with this important and valuable process for growth.  For my part, I want to know if others think I suck at something and why. (I like to think I'm pretty good at a lot of things, but if I can't accept personally that I might not be great at everything, nor if I can't receive the feedback as to how I am not and need to improve in certain areas, then how am I supposed to get better at those things I am not the best at?)

Today, instead of criticizing others or resisting feedback, I suggest trying to accept these people and processes as your teachers.  Encourage candid feedback to your benefit, while also providing constructive, non-personal and non-judgemental feedback to others for theirs, so that we can then all collectively flow into the areas of improvement we all need to today and going forward.  We are all both experts and amateurs, in different areas of life at the same time, and sometimes, not in which areas we actually think we are.

A humbling perspective, no?

If you want some more insights into my own work in this regard, check out my links below.