The Flow State - May 2026
- Erin Clair
- May 5
- 3 min read
Dear Community,
In every job interview I've had, I've been asked some form of the question, "What is your biggest weakness?" We all know the expected response is to mention a harmless, relatable flaw (like "I'm a perfectionist") and then share a story of overcoming it (such as "Now I'm a perfectionist who laughs more! Yay!"). But do we truly know our biggest weakness? Deep down, for real?
For my last job interview (for the position I currently hold), I decided to answer that question truthfully. So I sat down and really thought about it. What kept coming to mind was something my first department head, Carl Brucker, once told me gently, choosing his words carefully to ensure I understood: "Erin, you take criticism too much to heart."
There it is. My biggest weakness is my difficulty handling criticism. It seems minor, right? It's perfectly human to feel uneasy when critiqued.
But that wasn't his point. Having watched me evolve from a doctoral student to a tenured professor, he knew me well. He meant that my fear of criticism influences nearly every aspect of my life and fuels my lifelong social anxiety.
The point is: recognizing this isn't a weakness. There's great strength in understanding what holds us back. The most significant thing we can do for ourselves and everyone we encounter is to face our perceived greatest weaknesses with honesty and openness. This is the most demanding and meaningful task one can undertake in life. But by doing so, we naturally become people who uplift and inspire others just by being ourselves. We do the greatest good in this world by understanding who we are.
Have I gotten better at accepting criticism? Yes. But not always. I've realized that the more something matters to me, the harder it is to avoid letting feedback impact me negatively. I work on this daily, and sometimes I don't succeed. But now, I can recognize what's happening and why, which allows me to step back and try to shift my perspective. I can't become the person I want to be if I'm raving at the pity party, you know? I can't grow if I keep criticizing myself. I can't be true to myself if I'm constantly worried about others' opinions.
I have a theory that confronting one's biggest weakness is often the key to unlocking a person's potential and discovering how they are meant to contribute to the world. We'll see if that's true, but my gut tells me it is.
The best teachers are those who simply hold up a mirror so we can see who we really are, and that knowledge empowers us to become who we are capable of being. Carl Brucker is an excellent teacher.
So what's your biggest weakness, honestly? Can you face it head-on? I'll be cheering you on if you do, right alongside you in the muck.
New Podcast Episodes
Episode 37. Emiliana Simon-Thomas: The Fireworks of a Compassionate Brain
Joining me in this episode is Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas. She is the Science Director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and a neuroscientist who studies compassion, gratitude, and awe. She co-teaches The Science of Happiness, one of the most popular online classes in the world with over 850,000 students. She also runs the Big Joy Project and has presented on the science of happiness to the Dalai Lama.
Episode 36: Aaron B. Daniels: Happiness, Aliens, and Meditation
With me in this episode is Dr. Aaron B. Daniels, Associate Teaching Professor of Psychology and a Senior Mindfulness Fellow at Northeastern University. He is a former psychotherapist and a Certified Spiritual Director who has published six academic books. We talk about how his work on Dante, Jung, aliens, and mindfulness led him to see spiritual direction as a key to a content life.
Upcoming Classes
Tuesday, May 5 @7:30pm EDT: New Video Release: Yoga Philosophy Meditation (watch here)
Saturday, May 9 @4:00pm EDT: Fleetwood Mac Inside Flow at The Inferno (Fitchburg, MA)
Sunday, May 10 @10:30am EDT: Power Yoga Inside Flow at Waverley Oaks Athletic Club (Waltham, MA)
Monday, May 11 @6:30pm CDT: Music Monday Warm Yoga: Michael Jackson at Forca (Russellville, AR)
Wednesday, May 13 @6:30pm CDT: Fascia Release Yoga at Forca (Russellville, AR)
With gratitude,
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