Interestingly, many Slavic women know how to think outside the box.

  • As a sentimental person, I like good traditions.

A great tradition sprinkled here & there is great. However, repeating the same activities each year even when it’s not fun any longer only makes me feel slightly trapped.

For example, I don’t really enjoy attending Christmas parties because I love travelling by myself and see the world. I simply decided not to participate in Christmas parties in my hometown anymore. My rationale is very simple: If I run around trying to please everybody, I may end up disappointing myself.

Whatever your traditions are in your family, you may pause and ask yourself whether you still enjoy those traditions. And it’s okay to say that you no longer enjoy them. I give you the permission to be honest with yourself.

If you like your family traditions, that’s great – just keep doing those. However, if you dislike those traditions, it’s okay to break them.

Well, you might disappoint somebody in your life. Nevertheless, if you attend their gathering but you are not fully present, you will become resentful and they will feel that vibe.

Because I honor what actually feels good and true, I only keep family traditions that actually nourish my soul, e.g. talking to my family each day on Skype, taking my parents overseas for holiday once a year, etc.

My personal tradition is not to follow a specific routine because I just visit a new city during Christmas holidays every year.

Slavic women

 

  • How to not worry about my critics:

It’s not easy to be attractive when I’m worried about what others think of me. My focus would be divided and rather than being charismatic, I would censor myself and become boring so I can fit in.

That’s why I have learned how to stop worrying about my critics!

Truthfully, stepping into the light means I am a visible target for people to aim at. Each time I do something different, I open myself up to criticism, resentment and mockery. People might laugh at me when I do something new. A close friend may tell me I look weird. It turns out that success and criticism go hand-in-hand. I put my work out there & other people tell me it’s not good enough.

To avoid criticism, many people choose to hide in the background and do nothing / say nothing / be nothing.

Since I’m unwilling to follow that route, I know the only way to move forward is to handle criticism correctly, even though it’s hard.

Now I’m certain & very comfortable in my own skin; I don’t stifle myself due to what others will say.

I hired a business coach when I started my freelance business a while ago. That business coach asked me to stop being in denial about my faults.

My faults are not surprising to me. I’m honest with myself about my shortcomings and other people can’t trip me up simply by mentioning my shortcomings. I know how imperfect I am, so I’m not worried about criticism.

Whenever someone criticizes me, I simply agree and laugh along with that person. I own my weaknesses and make my weaknesses a part of who I really am.

A critic is not a hater. A critic is simply someone who wants to give me some feedback, even though I did it in a rude way. Therefore, I don’t avoid an opportunity to learn something from feedback. I’m grateful for the lesson they offer me.

During my trip to Eastern Europe, I met many relaxed, laid-back people. The way they approach things was eye-opening. Suddenly, I realized that my job isn’t to avoid criticism.

As I stop seeing criticism as something bad, it has lost its power in my life.

Whenever I do something new, some people will think I’m doing it wrong. That’s unavoidable. Criticism is a by-product of innovation.

“Good memories come from shared experiences with Slavic women.”