Nobody is here to be criticized

 After finishing a two-year digital marketing gig in Grand Cayman, I traveled to Nosara, Costa Rica for Yoga Teacher Training. It was pretty much a last-minute decision, as many of my better decisions are.
 
A few island friends urged me to go because they thought I would enjoy the laid-back surfing lifestyle of Nosara. A 30-day course was starting a few days after I was to leave Cayman. This transition would be a beginning, not an ending.
 
During orientation at the world-renowned Nosara Yoga Institute, owners Don and Amba Stapleton welcomed 50 teacher trainees and introduced us to a kinder and more personal way of teaching yoga.
 
One key message from that evening has stuck with me: "nobody is here to be criticized." It was emphasized. We all nodded. Not one of us had traveled to Central America to be criticized.
 
I have had my share of dysfunctional workplaces, where there was quite a bit of criticism flying around every day.
 
A lot of gossiping, blaming, back-stabbing, throwing-under-the-bus, and other less-than-effective ways of interacting with fellow workmates.
 
Criticism – as practiced by the masses as opposed to professional critics - is part of the language of dysfunction. It is defined as finding fault.
 
Criticism comes in many forms – direct or indirect, honest or dishonest, hurtful or tactful. It can be inadvertent, sarcastic, mean-spirited, cloying, and sometimes even constructive.
 
Criticism can scar. It can last beyond the moment, leaving residuals of doubt, insecurity, and resentment.
 
With mindfulness and determination, we can always find a better way to interact with those around us and get the desired results without anyone feeling criticized.
 
Once we remember that no one is here to be criticized, ourselves least of all, we start creating a more civilized world.