We receive feedback both internally from our thoughts and judgements and externally through sensory input. Feedback is anything resultant of something that we DO. If you punch the wall, you will receive pain as feedback and may have an automatic thought such as “Ouch, shouldn’t do that again”. Feedback is what informs our beliefs and worldviews, negative feedback informs what we SHOULDN’T do while positive feedback informs what we should do.

In our crazy universe it is hard to control both internal and external feedback. We can choose our environment and the people around us to a certain degree, and that’s about it for controlling external feedback. Internal feedback however we can muster a great deal of control over. Listen to your automatic thoughts, your intuitions and first impressions. Then ask yourself whether these feedback thoughts bring about the universe you want to live in. Are they kind and insightful, or cruel and ignorant. Give your feedback feedback so that you can change the direction of your automatic thoughts. Cultivate the thoughts you want, if you calibrate the autopilot you have more mental bandwidth to approach the world.

Sometimes we receive feedback that others communicate to us. This valuable commodity allows us to get fresh perspective and possibly see things that we didn’t before. But sometimes communicative feedback hurts. No one likes to be insulted and any negative feedback can sting if we aren’t in the right headspace to receive it. Therefore, in addition to regulating our own internal feedback, we have to process and filter external feedback so that we can glean the useful and let the rest rub off. If someone is being rude and insulting you then filter out the intentionally cruel. Completely remove yourself from the situation if you must, for although there may be a kernel of helpful truth in their words you have to protect yourself. However if someone is giving you constructive criticism listen well! Try not to take anything to personally, they are giving feedback on something you’ve done rather than your whole life.

When talking of feedback I would be remiss to not mention feedback loops. You know, like when you put the microphone next to the speaker. Feedback loops occur whenever something’s output feeds into itself. We want to cultivate positive feedback loops and attenuate the negative ones.

Take two examples of feedback loops following a perceived failure:

A: “I failed, I’m a failure so that’s what happens, I fail.” You don’t really process the failure, rather you BECOME the failure. You spiral downwards into despair, failing because you expect to fail

B: “I tried something. I learned something from it, and I will get better. I am always improving.” This feedback loop sets you up for success, whether you fail or not you can take a small victory in the fact that you’re improving. By noticing your improvement you’ll baby step your way happily to your goals.

Since feedback loops are incredibly amplificatory the intent expressed in them will manifest itself more and more. A positive outlook will set you in the right direction internally, while living somewhere you enjoy amongst people you enjoy should help with external feedback.

Feedback is powerful, you can either use it or let it use you and I recommend the former