The other day was career day at my daughter’s school. Not the normal, “bring a parent and have them speak to the students about their career” choice. Instead, it was dress up in your parents work clothes. My darling, fourteen year old daughter came up to me in pajamas and said: “Look mom, I chose to go to school dressed like you.”

“Ha, Ha,” I said. Yet, being able to do most of my work from my home office in comfy pink velour pajamas is my dream job. Now I know some women are up and to the gym by 5:00 AM and who wouldn’t be caught dead in their pajamas, and to that I say, “great.” Learning to celebrate each other’s differences is a thing of beauty.

Two deadly C’s that we need to make ourselves aware of and avoid are:

Criticizing & Comparing

Lets take a look at why these cause more harm than good.

Criticizing:

According to the dictionary, to criticize means “to complain about something: to comment on or point out the faults of people or things, or to find something wrong or bad about them.”

Which is completely opposite to its healthy counterpart, discernment which definition is keenly selective judgment. We do need to discern to make wise safe judgments and healthy decisions. So next time you hear yourself or someone else criticizing, ask yourself do these comments follow under the definition of discernment or criticism? If it’s purely criticism, give yourself permission to let it go right over your head.

In general, criticism hurts and it usually puts whoever is being criticized on the defensive. When we become defensive we lose precious time and energy better spent nourishing and nurturing ourselves. So be kind to yourself and others. Just avoiding this deadly C, will change your life dramatically.

I love these quotes on criticizing.

“Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.”—Elizabeth Harrison

“The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no ones cares or understands.”— Arthur H. Stainback.

Deadly C number two, Comparing:

Comparing ourselves to another person never serves anyone. Plus the crazy thing is we tend to compare our worst to their best, which proves nothing. Comparing wastes precious time and energy we don’t have to spare. It distracts us from who we are, what our gifts are and what we can do with them.

Quotes on comparing:

“To compare is not to prove”—French proverb

“To love is to stop comparing.”—Bernard Grasset

Today’s Challenge:

Let’s commit to removing the deadly C’s out of our life. Let’s enjoy the new-found energy, gained by not criticizing and comparing. Lets spend this energy on making the world a better place by nourishing our special gifts and then using them to live our life purpose.

I post new articles here everyday so bookmark this page and come back tomorrow for another kick to get you off your rear and doing what you came to this planet to do. I am dedicated to assisting you on your journey to discover and live your “Life On Purpose”. Get my favorite quotes.

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Copyright © 2007 Becca Levie. All Rights Reserved “Joy comes in finding and living your life on purpose.”—Becca Levie