Resist the Urge to Criticize

Puerta Vallarta - Oct 2011

In following my own advice from yesterday's post to keep things simple, I've decided to share some quotes from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, by Richard Carlson and a very brief thought. There were some comments shared in Relief Society a few weeks ago that triggered my thinking on this topic a bit.

"When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical... Criticism, like swearing, is actually nothing more than a bad habit... It's something we get used to doing; we're familiar with how it feels. It keeps us busy and gives us something to talk about."

So, we agree that it's a problem, but how do we fix it? "The solution is to catch yourself in the act of being critical. Notice how often you do it and how bad it makes you feel."

These quotes are excellent reminders for me. It can be pretty disappointing to recognize just how many criticizing and judgmental thoughts go through my head sometimes. Ideally, if we are able to catch ourselves in the act of being critical enough times, we can then get to a point where we "turn our criticism into tolerance and respect."

Do you had any recent thoughts or behaviors that are sending out the message: "I have a need to be critical?" How does it feel when you are successful at turning criticizing thoughts and actions into tolerance and respect?