motd Monday April 12, 2010

[Guest guest]

THE CRITICS

Monday, 12 April 2010

I was channel-surfing on my TV the other day and came across a show where these two guys were showing clips from recently released movies. They were making comments and criticisms about each movie they reviewed. And while I know it's their jobs, I couldn't help but think...what nitpickers!

Oh, they didn't like this about one movie and they didn't like that about another. The script was weak. The lead actor and actress had no chemistry between them. There were holes in the plot. This negative banter between the two of them just went on and on until I had to move on...to another channel! Who needed to hear those two guys acting like they were little "movie gods" anyway? But you know what? There're a lot of shows on TV where criticism rules. There are critics on Dancing With The Stars and American Idol. And sometimes, the people doing the criticizing can be downright nasty. But you know what? There's a big difference between being truthful and...being nasty!

But I'm willing to bet that the words of "the critics" probably don't come as much of a surprise to many of you. That's because most of the world's a critic! I'm sure you know your own share of critics and have experienced their wrath. You may have family members or friends who've blurted out cutting little remarks like:"Just look at you, you're never going to get that weight off, are you?" Here's another one. "You'll never find a good job because you're not good enough!" Wait, I've got one more. "Oh, you're not nearly as pretty as your sister." (All nice things to say to a person, huh?)Truth is, those examples I just presented are only the tip of the iceberg. And it's sad to say that many of these remarks come from people who're supposed to love you. Honestly, I don't know what causes them to say such nasty things! I mean, don't they think before allowing those horrible words to come spraying out of their mouths? Well, I guess they don't really seem like words. It's more like they're spraying little bullets!

So now, what are your options when a "rattlesnake" comes out of a friend's mouth? Well, you can say nothing. You could just stand there and take it. You can walk away so you don't have to hear what they're saying to you. Or...you can say something right back to them!No, no, no...not anything nasty. Saying something ugly back to them is not the way to go. You don't want to stoop to their levels. Try using this very simple statement:"I do not appreciate the way you talk to me. And I ask that you not ever speak to me that way again. Please have a nice day."

Then you can turn and walk away, you know, like Bette or Joan Crawford! I've done it many times and it always works for me. It's like my sweet mother, Shirley, used to tell me, "Dicky, kill them with kindness!"Look, you should never forget what a terrific and amazing person you are. And you should demand respect from others. Don't ever allow yourself to be put down by insensitive or thoughtless people!Now, before I leave you, there's one other critic I want to talk with you about. And I'm talking about those people who're always criticizing themselves. Oh, they can be just as bad as all of those other critics, telling themselves things like, "You're never gonna lose this weight. This is just the way you were supposed to be!"NOT! Come on now, what good are those words, coming from yourself, no less. Really, what good are those words going to do for you? None! Honestly, if you demand respect from others, then you'd sure better begin by demanding respect...from yourself!Love,