Something happened today..
As some of you may know I write creative pieces such as short stories, poetry etc. And today I was a part of a workshop in which four of my own poems were to be critiqued.. 😬😬😬😬
I’d had fleeting thoughts about it last week but soon forgot about it. Last night I thought about how I would handle the criticism and negative comments about my writing, my art, my work. And this morning I wasn’t nervous, but I was a bit apprehensive. As I know my weakness; I don’t deal with criticism too well. Who does?!
Anyway during the workshop it was weird. Nobody really criticised it. Any of it. There were a couple of suggestions from established writers, good suggestions that I appreciate. And then there was silence.
Why weren’t they saying anything? Were they scared of upsetting me? Did they hate it so much they didn’t know what to say? Was it terrible? I soon told the silly little voice in my head to “**** off” and I asked the group why they were quiet, I even asked one particular individual for his opinion. Brave compared to the old me. The me who held herself back so much.
It was after the workshop that it occurred to me, how far I had come as a person. To be comfortable, relaxed and confident in a position of being individually criticised was nothing short of a nightmare to me just a few years ago.
Not so long ago I wouldn’t do anything to be criticised, after being made redundant and become a ‘sahm’ I stayed in, I didn’t socialise, I was miserable, anxious and lonely! I had gone to an open day with my son in his pushchair and fled the scene as fast as I could as I had an awful panic attack. I wasn’t ready. I was yet to find Hypnotherapy, yet to discover my power, my strength and my true self. Yet to start LIVING.
Now I put myself out there and today I was in the dragon’s den.. the irony was – it went so well, I couldn’t have actually wished for it to go better. I’ve released so much unnecessary tension and negativity from my life that it seems to be impossible for it to come back.
I wanted to share this with you to let you know you can do the same, and also to give myself the acknowledgement I deserve. We all deserve. So here is my virtual pat on the back! For releasing the negativity, cutting the toxic people and empowering ourselves to be and feel fabulous, in our own unique ways! 💗🥂