Retain your Identity like Water

This is a continuation of my previous post "What are you Waiting for?"

One neat little trick to test or check your self-honesty is who are you in the face of criticism? Are you able to stand in the point of knowing who you are regardless of what anybody may think, or will you feel threatened, intimidated, cornered and then lash out like a wild animal?

And this 'standing in the face of criticism' also includes, are you able to humble yourself and consider the words that are being spoken and have a real honest look at yourself? Are you able to learn, or are you going to get stuck in arrogance? In beliefs you have about who you are. That you'll defend tooth and nail.

Criticism only feels 'harsh' when you are 'harsh' inside. When you are starkly trying to hold on to your self-beliefs. To learn, you have to be soft and malleable. Not like a sponge lol The whole sponge metaphor is bullshit. That's how you develop resentment and distrust, when you 'unquestioningly' accept and agree to things, and 'absorb' like a 'sponge'.

Maybe a better metaphor would be to be like water. Water will still retain its 'identity' as 'water' even though it is at the same time very 'fluid' and 'flexible' and will take on pollutants and anything you throw at and in it. But no matter how polluted water gets, it is always in a constant movement, because that is it's 'identity'. To be fluid and moving and flexible. It doesn't take offense to the 'pollution'. It takes it in, purifies what it can, and leaves the rest.

That's how you have to be with criticism. Take it in unconditionally, 'purify' it as in learn from it what you can, and just leave the rest as that which isn't supportive.