When Criticism Hurts - Feel Less Rejected

If criticism leaves you feeling hurt, rejected, or not good enough, this short guided meditation can help you step back from the first story your mind creates.
Through three simple questions, you’ll separate what actually happened from your interpretation and discover other perspectives that may also be true.
This gentle practice can help soften self-judgment, support self-compassion, and help you feel less personally affected by criticism — without pretending that the criticism didn’t hurt.
A short meditation for criticism, rejection, self-worth, overthinking, self-compassion, and finding a kinder perspective.

Transcript

Hello and welcome. Has someone criticized you? Did it hurt? I don't want to make the criticism sound better than it was or make your hurt disappear. I simply want to ask you, What else is true? Something kinder that may be hard to see right now because the criticism or the hurt feels so strong. In this meditation I'm going to ask you three questions. After each one, I will give you about 30 seconds to find your own answer. Maybe it's also true that this person knows only a small part of you. They don't know everything about you. They don't know all your experiences, Your reasons or all the good sides of you. What doesn't this person know about you? Maybe it's also true that you don't have to be perfect. You are allowed to have weaknesses. You are allowed to make mistakes. You are allowed to be human. And still be lovable. What would it be like if you could love yourself with all your weaknesses and mistakes? And maybe it's also true that there's something useful for you in that criticism. Something that could help you or help you grow? Without meaning that you have to agree with everything that was said. What could be helpful for you in this criticism? Criticism happened and it hurt you. That's still true. And the other truths you discovered are here too. What does it feel like to let all of them exist side by side, With equal space? Maybe reality is kinder than your first interpretation of it?