Looking At Our Own Mistakes

photo by Stephen Downes retrieved at flickr/pictures/stephen_downes

Have you ever hidden from what's good for you?

Do you ever find yourself in a box of your own design?

I can get defensive sometimes. A piece of criticism heads my way, and I'm not only ducking, I'm swatting it away like a nuisance. Full red alert keeps me from getting what I need to hear.

Not always, but sometimes I'm not feeling secure enough to look at my own opportunity for improvement.

Do you ever find yourself hiding from your mistakes? What do you think happens as a result?

Here's what I learned about that:

If you want help with a problem, be willing to look at your own mistakes without getting defensive.

How else can you ever fix them?

How else will people be willing to take the risk of communicating openly and honestly with you?

Feeling defensive is normal -- acting defensive is a choice.

-- Douglas Brent Smith

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