We Need Sun and Rain to Grow

So here we are again, another February day, Wednesday workshop. I wanted to chat with you about a quote I saw. It says to accept both compliments and criticism because, for a flower to grow, it requires both sun and rain.

“Accept both compliments and criticism because, for a flower to grow, it requires both sun and rain.”

When we go through life, we love pats on the back. We love to not hear that we’re making mistakes or that we’re not doing things well. Sometimes, when we get a section of criticism, it might not even feel like it comes from the right place or in the right way. But we can get defensive, we can get bitter, we can get angry. A lot of different emotions can flow into our minds. We can dwell on it, overthink it, and that can send us down a path where we don’t learn much in the process.

Even criticism can sometimes lead us to a bad place if we don’t accept it in the right way, even if it comes harshly. Some of you have experienced my leadership and classes where I’ve explained things that I personally have dealt with that were not necessarily done in the right way. But I took them and grew from them because the criticism was correct. No matter how harsh it might have come, I accepted it.

In a very similar way, compliments are a good thing. You hear me talk about being generous, being encouraging, and uplifting, and that is important. However, even in that, if done in the wrong way, too often, or with the wrong intent behind it, you can spiral a person. If you yourself take those compliments too much to heart, you can start to believe you can do no wrong. You could become narcissistic, believing that the world revolves around you. You might start thinking, “I am amazing, and I can do no wrong.” So that when criticism comes, you disregard it quickly because everybody else is telling you how great you are.

You don’t take helpful criticism because you’ve gotten so used to the compliments, or you become so needy for compliments. I think all of us know people like this—people who need to be patted on the back and told how amazing they are just to get them to do something.

All of these things can be taken out of their element if not accepted in the correct fashion. We need criticism. We need compliments. But they need to be healthy and in moderation throughout our lives. Nobody should have to endure nothing but criticism their entire life, and nobody should endure nothing but compliments their entire life. Nobody should have to deal with an imbalance in these ways.

Now, sometimes we might feel that we do, but there is a component in ourselves—each and every one of us—that must look at everything coming in, weigh it, and recognize it for what it is. Even an encouragement or a compliment that comes in should be evaluated on its own merits. Why is it coming in? Who’s giving it? What’s the motivation behind it?

Sometimes, it’s just a compliment. Sometimes, it’s truly love or respect, sometimes, it’s truly someone wanting to help you. Other times, it’s for nefarious purposes—they want something out of you. They want to wind up the Easter Bunny—well, I guess I should say the Energizer Bunny—and get you to work harder for some reason.

But we need the sun, and we need the rain, so we can grow.

In healthy measure, remember that every criticism is not a personal attack upon you, and every compliment is not saying you can do no wrong. Take everything within measure, weigh it out, and keep striving to be a better version of yourself in the coming weeks, months, and years.

If you have that mindset and you stay humble, you will accomplish great things. Be valuable. Nothing less will do.

God bless you guys. Have a wonderful week. I’ll talk to you next week.