Hey, it’s Rafic. 

Welcome back to this week’s edition of Peak Performance Insider.

Criticism can sting.

Even when it’s meant to help, it can feel like someone pulled the rug out from under you.

Your chest tightens. Your mind races. Your face feels hot.

It’s not weakness, it’s your stress response kicking in to protect you.

Your body sees criticism as a threat, which is why you might:

• Fight: Get defensive or argue back
• Flight: Avoid the person or the topic
• Freeze: Go blank or feel stuck
• Fawn: Over-apologize or people-please

But if you want to keep growing, you need to learn how to handle feedback without letting it knock you off track.

This week, we’re diving into how to handle criticism and feedback without losing yourself, so you can keep getting better, no matter what comes your way.

📌 Today’s Agenda:
✅ Why feedback feels like a threat
✅ Using The Four Agreements to handle criticism
✅ Practical ways to handle feedback in real life

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💪 Health & Wellness
🔹 The 10 Best Pre-Workout Foods
Fuel your workouts (and your day) with these effective options.

✍️ Deep Dive: Handling Criticism Without Losing Yourself

I remember back in my oil and gas days, I was in the field doing a live simulation of a critical procedure.

I made one mistake.

And instead of regrouping and moving forward, I shut down.

That one mistake turned into a failed test because I couldn’t get out of my own head.

The feedback I got was simple:
“Attitude is everything. With the right attitude, you can overcome any mistake.”

Later, while working in last-mile logistics, I prepared for weeks for a big presentation to the executive team.

I walked in confident, ready to deliver.

Within minutes, it felt like everything I had worked on was getting picked apart, line by line.

I left that room questioning myself:
“Am I cut out for this? Did I waste all that effort? Is it just me?”

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Criticism and feedback are part of the game if you want to grow and lead.

They will happen, solicited or not.

And how you handle them determines whether you grow or stay stuck.

🛠️ Why Feedback Matters

Feedback isn’t just about fixing mistakes. It’s one of the fastest ways to grow.

• It reveals blind spots you can’t see alone.

• It clarifies expectations so you can deliver at a high level.

• It builds trust and credibility with your team and leaders.

• It becomes a competitive advantage in high-performance environments.

You can’t avoid feedback if you want to get better. But you can learn to handle it with clarity.

📚 Using The Four Agreements to Handle Feedback

I’ve found The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz to be a powerful tool when facing feedback:

🔸 Be Impeccable With Your Word:
Speak kindly to yourself after receiving feedback. No harsh self-talk.

🔸 Don’t Take Anything Personally:
Feedback is about the situation, not your worth as a person.

🔸 Don’t Make Assumptions:
Ask clarifying questions so you truly understand what’s being said.

🔸 Always Do Your Best:
Your best will vary depending on the day. Apply what you can and keep going.

🧩 Practical Ways to Handle Criticism

✅ Pause Before Reacting
Take a breath. Let your body settle before you respond.

✅ Clarify
Ask questions:

• “Can you give me an example?”

• “What would improvement look like?”

• “What’s your goal with this feedback?”

✅ Filter the Feedback
Is it aligned with your goals? Is it actionable? Is it coming from someone whose perspective you value?

✅ Reflect, Don’t Replay
Instead of replaying the conversation, ask:

• “What can I learn from this?”

• “What’s one small adjustment I can make?”

✅ Anchor to Your Why
Feedback is a tool for growth, not a judgment of your worth.

✅ Clarify Expectations
If you don’t know what success looks like, ask. Clear expectations help you deliver.

🛡️ Handling Unsolicited Feedback

Not all feedback comes at the right time or in the right tone.

• Pause and breathe.
• Listen without interrupting.
• Say: “Thanks for sharing that. I’ll think about it.”

This keeps you in control while giving yourself space to decide what’s useful.

🗣️ Language Shifts That Help

How you talk to yourself during and after feedback matters.

• “They’re attacking me.” ➔ “They’re sharing their perspective.”
• “I failed.” ➔ “I found something to improve.”
• “This is unfair.” ➔ “This is an opportunity to clarify expectations.”

These shifts keep you open to learning.

Bring This Into Your Work

Handling feedback well is a high-performance skill.

If you lead a team:

• Let people know if a meeting will involve feedback so they can prepare.
• Share clear, specific, actionable feedback.
• Balance what needs improvement with what’s going well.
• Model calm, curiosity, and openness when receiving feedback yourself.

When feedback becomes part of your culture, it becomes a tool for growth, not fear.

⚡️ Work With Me

If you’re reading this, you’re someone who cares about getting better.

You want to keep growing, improving, and showing up as your best, not just for your work, but for yourself.

But growth isn’t always easy.

Handling feedback, facing challenges, and making changes while balancing everything else in life takes intention and structure.

That’s what we build together in coaching.

We’ll clarify what you want, create habits that support your goals, and work through challenges like handling feedback without letting it shake your confidence.

So you can keep improving, without burning out or second-guessing yourself every step of the way.

If you’re ready to lead and live with clarity, let’s talk.

📅 Book a 1:1 strategy session here.

🎯 That's a Wrap

This week, pay attention to how you handle feedback.

Not to criticize yourself, but to notice where you can adjust, learn, and keep moving forward.

📝 Reflection Prompts

Take 5 minutes this week to journal:

• When was the last time I received feedback that felt uncomfortable?

• How did I react, and what did it teach me about myself?

• What was the most useful part of that feedback?

• How would I like to handle similar feedback next time?

• Who can I ask for constructive feedback this week to keep growing?

Reflection turns feedback into growth.

📌 This week’s quote to contemplate:

“What other people think of me is none of my business” — Terry Cole-Whittaker

See you next Monday,

— Rafic Osseiran

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