Those who wish to continue to grow and enhance their abilities do. There is not some intangible marker all chefs strive to reach that states “You’ve made it – you have achieved such a level of greatness that there is absolutely no room for improvement.” One would imagine such a crossing point does exist, simply by the way many chefs carry themselves. Customer feedback is gold. Setting aside all of the complications, a chef has a simple task of preparing food for customers to enjoy. If customers are willing to offer their feedback, only a fool would be so arrogant as to not even listen to it. Nobody says that one has to adjust accordingly to every piece of input. At the very least, every critique should be considered.
This principle can be applied to any industry. The only thing that is standing between listening to criticism and ignoring it is this nasty, terrible little monster called ego. This infamous hell hound holds the title for the most detrimental, limiting, and counter-productive factor to ever harm mankind. If a person is capable of setting aside their ego, they will unlock doors in their life that are unimaginable. I was taught a great way to approach these matters that I still practice today. Before reading or hearing any criticism, I say to myself “Is it possible….” and proceed with whatever the input is. It is lighter on the ego. Only a fool would be so arrogant as to not consider a question that begins with “is it possible.” Socrates said, “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Whether criticism is coming from a place of love or a place of arrogance is irrelevant. If anybody is willing to be so kind as to assist me in my everlasting journey towards improvement, I am willing to hear what they say and ask myself “is it possible” that this person may just be right?
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