“The grass is not, in fact, always greener on the other side of the fence. No, not at all. Fences have nothing to do with it. The grass is greenest where it is watered. When crossing over fences, carry water with you and tend the grass wherever you may be.”

— Robert Fulghum

‎”If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher.”

- Pema Chodron

One thing I learned in my MBA program was that feedback, when honest and delivered in an open manner, can show you the gold in your shadow. That gold being the thing thing that can help you most but is often so buried we don’t see it. I came across this quote and it reminded me of the experiences I’ve had when I was traveling with a friend and working in groups at school.

If you can actually listen to the feedback (criticism/value judgement), and withhold you own judgement long enough to listen to the feedback, then it can bring about great things to you, but it ain’t easy to do. We normally put up our defenses as soon as we think we are being attacked. We also aren’t used to the judgement (When was the last time you really told someone what you thought of them… exactly.). But if we have a mutual understanding and are willing to listen with open hearts and mind, then the results can be very very valuable.