One of my childhood memories is watching “Jesus of Nazareth” (and every other Jesus movie) annually. Another movie that was watched every year is “The Ten Commandments” starring Charlton Heston. I used to wonder why they showed this movie at Easter. Then I learned that to Jews it was Passover. I believe that these movies sparked my interest in knowing more about Jewish culture. It certainly formed the foundation for why I decided to expound upon this topic of personal curiosity, broadly – Jewish culture. and narrowly, Jewish Holidays for my research and presenting project in Pathways to my Toastmasters Club. The feedback that I got after the speech was mostly positive, but the most impactful criticism was that I should have avoided the topic because of the religious theme could be offensive to the audience. I did not necessarily feel that the topic was offensive or promoted any view one way or the other, but the fact that someone else perceived it that way was enough for me to take the observation to heart and apply the criticism to my future speeches.
It’s not that all controversy should be avoided, but being motivated to cause offense or controversy to others should indeed be eschewed, unless you are hosting a talk show on TV or radio. I find Toastmasters to be a space to develop and grow personally and professionally. Also, the meetings have a respectful environment where differences are encouraged and not just tolerated. Being intentional is the key to improvement; therefore, it is how we choose to respond to issues in life that determines the outcome. Thusly, I hope that my response to criticism promotes personal growth.
Once a classmate stated to me that a decision that I made when I was 19 years old showed that I had poor character. The conversation upset me, but I never took it to heart because I disagreed. I believed then, as I do now, that people evolve, change their minds and attitudes, plus perspectives and perceptions shift. I replied to him that I am not the same person that I was at 19, and a bad decision was a lesson learned, but not to be repeated now which did not reflect that somehow my moral fiber could be understood in a single past mistake. Consequently, I rejected his criticism as something that was inapplicable to me.
As a final thought I want to share something that I came across while researching Jewish Holidays about the weekly observance of Shabbat, or the Sabbath. Shabbat symbolizes an example humankind can learn that the best way to live, plant crops, and conduct business, is to remember to set aside time to rejuvenate and rest. Similarly, as we should rest from our daily activities – we should calmly take a moment to listen to criticism, consider the source, and consider the truth of the assertion(s). Lastly, decide to accept or reject it by how it resonates within your heart.
I am grateful to District 77 for the opportunity to share on its blog space, and a special thank you to Jessica Silhavy. Now, share your experience with handling criticism in the comment space below. Happy speaking everyone!
