I was on vacation at the beach and was building a sand sculpture of an elephant. I thought it was coming along nicely, but a woman came up and told me that the tusks of the elephant were wrong. At first I was offended by her comment, but then I humbly asked, “What should I do to make it better?” She gave me a suggestion and I followed her advice. She was right! The alteration I made to the tusks made all the difference in the world. I thanked the woman for helping me with her advice.
The very next day I received word of someone whose feelings were hurt because of some artistic criticism they had received. I texted this person and told them to welcome the criticism as a means of making them better at their craft, explaining to them the way that the woman’s words from the previous day had helped me (even though her words initially offended me). In the field of creativity, you’ve got to be willing to make adjustments by listening to others who can see things that you’re not seeing properly. That’s the way you grow and get better at what you do. But, this can’t happen unless you’re humble enough to receive words of advice, and yes, even criticism.
I say all of this to relay this one thought… being humble enough to admit that you might be wrong is the first step to becoming better. I see people every day who want people to “accept them the way they are” so they reject any words of advice or wisdom that suggest that changes need to be made. If you’re so strongly entrenched in who you “presently are” that you fail to accept advice from others, then you can’t become the person you are “supposed to be.” Yes, you are loved and appreciated for who you “presently are” but you are also on the way to “becoming who you will be.” Never forget that. And most often the changes that are needed to get you to where you’re supposed to be will come by way of wisdom and advice passed on by others… people who see things about you that you can’t see.
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all… are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
