It is good for people to help by reminding each other about things, such as their posture. I certainly would want someone to remind me to stand up straight if I am slouching. So, we must learn to take these tips as reminders instead of criticism, just as we need to be able to take feedback at work, at home, or with our friends and not see it as criticism.

If someone says, “Please bring me a cup of tea,” we may hear the request as a criticism of who we are and think, “Oh, I’m such a bad person! I should have brought the person a cup of tea before being asked! What’s wrong with me? I can’t do anything right.” It is good to examine how often we interpret statements as criticism that were not meant in that way, and how this can keep us from growing. Soon we become afraid to even move our little toe because we might do it wrong. Fear of getting criticised can paralyse us, and we cannot learn anything if we are so afraid of making a mistake that we do not act.

Something to really pay attention to is how we put limits and boundaries on ourselves rather than simply learning from a situation and moving on. Let us all work on this and keep reminding each other to stand up straight, or the various other things that we all want to do but forget so easily, like “Remember to wash your hands before eating.”

“365 Gems of Wisdom” Volume One (January — March) e-book is out now!