Monday 27 January 2014

Don't Take Critcism too Personally Part 1

Growing up with criticism can damage your self-confidence, make you self-conscious and lead to becoming overly sensitive to how others react to you. That has been my experience. When the criticism alternates with extreme praise, the mixed messages that you are left with are even more damaging. I felt like the rug was constantly being pulled out from under me. I was afraid to be happy, waiting for the other shoe to drop.



In order to protect myself emotionally, I unconsciously became a keen observer, a people watcher, an avid reader about human nature. Outwardly passive, inwardly I harbored deep resentment and anger. Because I was not permitted to vent these strong emotions as a child, they manifested themselves into self destructive behaviors and eventuality led to mental illness. I was extremely shy, stoic and an introvert. Because of trust issues, I rarely let anyone get close to me.

Adding to my feelings of inadequacy, I developed several phobias including fear of heights, open paces, crowds, eating in public and speaking in front of my peers. After a summer vacation to Germany, without parental supervision, I became obese at the age of ten. Always being the shortest in the class, near sighted (without glasses) and having untreated asthma, didn't help matters. Obesity was not common in children during the 60's. Immigrants from Germany were also not popular due to postwar attitudes of adults, which filtered down to their children. As a result of all these factors, I was a target of ridicule from my peers.

I entered puberty earlier than most and developed cystic, scarring acne that did not completely clear up until I was in my 40's  Depression and suicidal tendencies plagued my adolescence and adulthood. Fortunately, I never completely self-destructed due to an inner strength that no amount of mental and physical abuse could destroy. 

It has taken a long time to finally recognize that God was protecting me during those dark years and that he never gave up on me. I am still a work in progress. Never give up on yourself and try not to take criticism too personally. The one trying to put you down is the one that has the problem!





Wednesday 22 January 2014

My thoughts on Anger.

Some say that it is never appropriate to get angry. I think that in some cases it is necessary. When vulnerable members of our society are abused, such as children, the disabled and the elderly, I believe that the anger you feel as a result, motivates you to do something about it. It is how you go about channeling that anger which will determine whether you have a positive outcome or not. When you lose self-control, people lose respect for you and may even ridicule you. I taught children for many years and can attest to that. When you get angry in front of  individuals that purposely try to press your buttons, it gives them the power.

I grew up in a family where several of us had a bad temper. I had the type where I would keep hurts and resentments in, nurse them, and obsess about them until I could no longer take it. Typically, I would blow up about something relatively minor, where I ended up looking like a crazy person. Unresolved anger can eventually turn into rage.

Although I was a very petite and female, I have had people actually complain that they were afraid of me. I didn't even have to say anything, "the look" said it all. One example occurred when I was in my early 20's while I worked at a fast food outlet. I was feeling stressed because we were often busy and short-staffed. It was my job to tell the younger staff what the customer orders were while I manned the till in the drive through. This usually was an evening shift (6 pm- 2 am.) and I worked up to 5 times a week while attending university full time. Due to time pressures and the lack of experience, my teenage co-workers constantly made mistakes. Eventually, I would lose my patience and my response was not very nice, to say the least. I should not have been surprised when one of them bolted, crying, to seek safety with the management.

Obviously I had anger issues, but I didn't acknowledge it at the time. My childhood experiences had much to do with the underlying source of my inability to manage my anger. That is another story. Unfortunately, my problems with getting along with certain people continued into adulthood, to the point where I was happiest being self-employed. I had limited exposure to customers, as I worked under contract for a business that took care of that. At some point I got tired of hiding out in my basement and took another crack at outside employment. I had trouble keeping jobs because I spoke my mind to co-workers and bosses. I thought I should be treated with more respect because I was older and a former teacher. I discovered that that didn't count for much.

To heal myself from excessive anger, that I mostly stuffed deep inside and the destructive behaviors that resulted, I had to let go of the past, forgive those that wronged me and also forgive myself for my actions. It finally dawned on me that the people that annoyed me the most were not going to change. All I could do was to change my own attitude to that person. I had read self-help books by
the dozen which gave me some pointers, but I found it difficult to apply these to my day to day life. In desperation, I turned to God in prayer so that I would not get fired from yet another job. I sought out a church that could offer me support. Studying the teachings of Jesus Christ helped bring me a sense of peace and the realization that we are all a work in progress. Anger is a natural response, but it is best to find ways to get it out of your system without hurting others, damaging relationships or turning yourself into a bitter, volatile person that no one wants to be around. Anger is manageable!

Some of you may be of a different faiths, do meditation and yoga, workout to get rid of stress and anger in other positive ways. In this blog I share what solutions have worked for me. If you have any comments or suggestions about how to deal with anger, I welcome your input!




Tuesday 21 January 2014

Sharing your Writing takes Guts

Writing can be emotionally rewarding, but also devastating, depending how it is received. When you put your heart into your writing, you leave yourself vulnerable by revealing your feelings, beliefs, and writing skills to others. The meaning of your writing may be misinterpreted and you can receive unexpected negative feedback.

While I was taking a college Creative Writing class, post degree, I got what I originally thought was a positive comment on a paper. It was a very detailed analysis of The Handymaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The paper was 21 pages long and I felt a bit sorry for my English instructor that had to read and grade it. To my surprise, she wrote that I should write for "intelligent" women magazines. In hindsight, it was only a partial compliment as it specified "women's magazines" and I am not sure many "intelligent magazines for women" existed back in the 1990's.

I also wrote a short story as a class assignment based on a real life experience of mine. To my horror, my instructor read it out in front of the class. I was in my early thirties, with the rest of the students eighteen or a bit older. The young men in the room started to heckle the story by making statements such as "that would never happen" or "she must have been a real bitch!" They got very angry, while I kept shrinking down into my desk, hoping no one would notice my red face. It was as if I was reliving the nightmare all over again. (Refer to my blog: Why I Write About Domestic Violence for more information.)

I have had many people suggest that I write a book due to the struggles in my life which I have had to overcome. However, I am too busy at the moment for that and prefer sharing insights that I have gained overcoming some of these difficult challenges.

My goal is, if I help just one person with my story, that they may come to realize they are not alone in their struggles, it will make any effort on my part in writing this blog worthwhile.

Trudy Grossman