in any area of our lives. But in reality,
constructive criticism is really good for
drawing attention to areas that need
improvement in your life. Don’t be afraid
to ask your friends, boss or spouse about
their honest opinions.
1. DON’T COME OFF AS SELF-ABSORBED
I will tread with caution on this subject so
as not to offend. Because of the age we live
in and the explosion of social media
connections, many of us have become boxed
in to only a perception of reality, a.k.a. a
false front for our own lives. One of the
most crucial life skills is not to come across
as self-absorbed. I can’t tell you how much
it bothers me when women post beautiful
“selfies” constantly on social media sites. It
seems apparent that they are seeking
attention and fishing for compliments. For
me, it almost ruins my perception of that
person because I see them as self-absorbed,
or worse yet, insecure of themselves. A
couple of shots here and there are great,
especially if you’re feeling particularity
beautiful and confident that day- but don’t
overdue it because it’s just tacky.
2. RECEIVE COMPLIMENTS WELL
When genuine compliments are thrown
your way, it can be difficult to know how
to respond in an appropriate manner. I
think there’s a fear of agreeing with the
compliment, like you’ll come off as
narcissistic or arrogant. Or perhaps you just
don’t believe the compliment and simply
reject it outright. The best way to respond
when someone gives you a sweet remark, is
by genuinely thanking them with a smile on
your face! Don’t respond with another
compliment because that could seem
insincere. Just thank the person, actually
believe what they said and move on to
another subject.
3. ASK FOR HONEST OPINIONS
None of us like to hear negative feedback in
any area of our lives. But in reality,
constructive criticism is really good for
drawing attention to areas that need
improvement in your life. Don’t be afraid to
ask your friends, boss or spouse about their
honest opinions. It can be difficult at first
but so rewarding. Isn’t it better to know
where you’re weakest so as to become
stronger?
4. DON’T BE EASILY OFFENDED
The mark of a mature person is their ability
to let the little stuff (or possibly big stuff)
go and not hold bitterness or grudges
towards others. I’ve been hurt by lots of
people in the past; people I trusted dearly
who betrayed my trust and I’m sure most of
you can relate. I can say that it’s much
better for your well-being to just let things
roll off your back instead of being offended
and hurt. What helps for me is looking at a
person’s intentions. Most of the time, people
aren’t out to get you and don’t mean to
cause any offense. Look at it from that
perspective and you won’t be as easily
offended!
5. REMEMBER PEOPLE’S NAMES
I have the worst time remembering the
names of people I just met! Literally, within
a couple of minutes I forget names which is
terrible. The reason this is a crucial life
skill is because when you don’t remember a
person’s name, it sends the message that
you don’t care about them even if that’s not
true. What works for me is that when I
meet a new person and they introduce
themselves to me, I repeat their name back
to them after they say it! It logs it into my
mind along with their face so I won’t forget
it for our next encounter.
6. KEEP CONVERSATIONS ALIVE
Don’t you just hate those awkward silences
with people during conversations? There
aren’t many more awkward social settings
than that! Really what stems from awkward
silences is a lack of interest in one or both
parties. Try finding something interesting in
the conversation and take it in another
direction. This will keep the conversation
alive and definitely more intriguing!
7. BE OK WITH BEING ALONE
For extroverts, the concept of being alone is
unsettling and frightening. We’ve lost the
ability to just be alone, quieten our minds,
put away our cell phones, computers and
TV’s and just be. To be alone is a form of
meditation and being OK with it means
you’re not afraid of life and you’re secure
within yourself.
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