Love is in your heart only, isn’t it?
If your actions are being challenged, then look into them -- are they alright, did you do something wrong, can you do any better, or is it just the other person’s perception?
When people criticize you, welcome them with all your heart! Why? Because they are putting their friendship with you at risk, being bold and brave enough to comment so that you improve! Don’t they need some appreciation? If they are doing it out of jealousy, or if they are upset with you or at your accomplishment, then you can spare some compassion for them.
Whenever someone criticises you, first welcome their criticism, thank them and stand up to it! No one has any interest in putting you down, why would they do that? A normal healthy person will not try to put someone down. People either need your compassion because they are not normal, and if they are normal and healthy, then they need your appreciation, I don’t see a third angle here. Life cannot be goody-goody all the time. Challenges exist, and it is for us to take them with a smile. What do you say?
Today, let us all take up this one intention, "Come what may, I will not lose my smile, my spirit, and my enthusiasm!" Then you can be of great help to people around you. You will be a guiding light in your family, to your friends circle, in society -- everywhere! You will be the most 'wanted’ person, in the good sense, not in any other sense.
In Hindu temples, an ‘aarti’ is performed, i.e., a wick is lit up and taken around the deity. Do you know why they do that? Because life is synonymous to light. When you light a candle and turn it upside down, where does the flame go? Up or down? The flame always goes up! Similarly, the meaning of ‘aarti’ is ‘let the light of my life always go around the divine; let me see divinity everywhere, let me see light everywhere!’ This is the purpose of aarti.