A farmer had an old donkey. It had worked hard for many years, but now it had become old, costing the farmer a lot of money with food and trips to the vet. One day, as they were working out on the field, the old donkey slipped and fell into an old well. The farmer felt that there was no way to get the donkey out, so he decided that he would just bury him. He got some workers and they began to shovel dirt into the dried-up well. The dirt fell on the donkey's back, but every time it did, the donkey shook it off and stepped on the dirt. The workers continued to shovel dirt, gradually filling up the hole. To their surprise, instead of burying the donkey, it kept shaking the dirt off until it was able to jump out of the hole and run to safety. (source unknown)

What do you do with the dirt that is thrown at you? Do you let criticism bury you or do you shake it off, learn from it and step on it, getting yourself to higher ground?

Proverbs 15:32 - "He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding."