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So about five minutes ago as I was preparing to leave, I looked out the window and Venerable
Semkye and Venerable Jampel were walking by. And Venerable Jampel more than Venerable Semkye
walking like this [demonstrates] And I slouch too, I have really bad posture and I notice
that it really affects me, and he and I have talked about it and, you know, we all need
to sit up straight. And so, I opened the window now that we have some warm weather-- Warm weather... (laughter)
The ice is unfrozen. I can open the window now, and I called out, "Stand up straight!"
And, you know, I think it's really good, you know, that we help each other and remind
each other about things like this and I certainly know when I'm slouching I want people to
remind me to stand up straight and if I'm not standing properly or doing something people
should remind me and I think we should all remind each other.
And I think it's very important that when we have reminders we take them like that,
as reminders, okay? Or that when people give us feedback, whether you're working in a
job or at the center or with your friends, when people give us feedback take it as feedback,
don't take it as criticism, okay? Because what we often tend to do is, like somebody
says, "Bring me a cup of tea," and then you go, "Oh, I'm such a bad person! I
should have brought them a cup of tea before they had to ask! What's wrong with me? I
can't do anything right." And then we hear, you know, "Please bring me a cup of
tea," as criticism of who we are. Is it criticism of who we are?
[Audience says, "I want to say, yes." Laughter]
Okay, so if you're honest, you want to say, "Yes," but when our wisdom mind thinks
about it... But it's an interesting thing because the normal response, "oh yes, it
is criticism" but to look at how many times we hear something as criticism that was not
meant as criticism. And that how doing that really keeps us from growing. Because then
we just pile this whole thing on our head about, "I'm a bad person and I can't
do anything right and I better not even move my toe because I might do it wrong and get
criticized again." And so then we just stand there in paralysis, okay, out of fear of getting
criticized. Is that the way to live a life? You know, do we learn anything by having that
attitude, by being so afraid of making a mistake that we don't act?
Now, the problem with me saying it is a lot of you're going to hear this as criticism!
[Laughter from the audience] Yes? But this is something to really think about, how we
put limits and boundaries on our self rather than simply learning from the situation and
going on, okay? And so, all of us need to work on this and
all of us, you know, keep reminding each other to stand up straight and to do various other
things that we all want to do but we forget to do, okay?