Avoiding judgement is easy when we don't grow.

A short read about finding courage and sharing your work.

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We've all lived long enough to know that hearing someone criticise us can hurt.

It can be felt like a punch to the stomach, making us want to hide and seethe and stew.

I've been criticised harshly for my looks, choices, spotty face, sporting mistakes, writing, art, dating skills, and opinions.

It always hurt.

For many of us, if this experience was particularly painful, we may have decided to avoid attracting criticism from others altogether.

There's no way you're going through that physical pain again.

So we avoid life, thinking we're clever and wise.

But is avoiding criticism worth it if you miss out on living too?

What would that mean if we were to block off any potential rejections, hurtful comments, and disagreements from other humans?

It would mean never creating and publishing anything.

It would mean never making the first move.

It would mean cutting ourselves off from the world and all the opportunities hidden in its colourful and mysterious texture.

We can't lean into our potential and bear its rewards if we don't risk criticism.

Realising this, we can find a way to be thankful for the hurt we once felt.

It shows us we're alive with a beating pulse.

A reminder that rejection is good.

It means we're living and growing.

We can't grow if we avoid judgement.

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Thanks for reading.

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