Turning Criticism into Life-Changing Courage

#198:

In Napoleon Hill’s Outwitting the Devil, the devil says:

“One of my cleverest devices for mind control is fear. I plant the seed of fear in the minds of people, and as these seeds germinate and grow, through use, I control the space they occupy.”

Here are the devil’s 6 most effective fears to control the minds of people:

1. Fear of poverty
2. Fear of criticism
3. Fear of ill health
4. Fear of loss of love
5. Fear of old age
6. Fear of death

Note the #2 fear on the list, right behind the fear of poverty: the fear of criticism.

Here are just a few examples of how fear of criticism shrinks your life:

• You don’t put yourself fully “out there” – in business, in love, in self expression
• You don’t go after the role you really want
• You don’t speak up for what you truly believe in
• You don’t take the stages to make your voice heard
• You don’t speak with as much conviction or you dilute your message
• You don’t launch the business or blog you’ve been dreaming of
• You don’t promote your business as fully as you could
• You don’t step into the leadership positions you desire
• You don’t command the money you know you deserve

The Great Man Within You is not impervious to criticism. But he is not immobilized by it.

He refuses to allow his life to be shrunken by external forces. The Great Man Within You always lives from the inside out – relying on his inner compass to guide his life’s actions, even when the outside world seems to be throwing daggers.

I see so many potential Great Men sitting on the sidelines of their own lives because they fear being rocked by criticism that their inner worlds are not yet ready to withstand.

That’s why doing this inner work – and having a community of supportive men who will take the field with you – is essential for you to build the capacity to receive criticism and alchemize it into Courage.

Today, Bryan and I share with you examples about how we’ve been publicly criticized for the work we do…how painful that was for us at first…and how much stronger we are today for building the inner fortitude to handle it.

More importantly, how much freer, fully self-expressed and powerful our lives feel now that criticism no longer has the same crippling effect.

The same power and freedom is at your fingertips. If you are willing to step into the arena with us.