Self-development - Be honest with yourself.

Be honest with yourself. I would try to use my own words, based on my own experience on the topic.
I may say that this is the most important one to deal with if you want  to achieve personal growth.. Knowing oneself requires a lot of  yourself. You need to have some simple exercise in the morning and in the evening. You may use a mirror. Talk to yourself in the mirror. Almost the same way as when you place yourself on the other side of the table.

Dive into knowing your negative and positive sides and you have to be genuinely honest about it. It is a difficult thing or maybe is a painful process to do to go through the process to see who you really are and then acknowledge the negative sides of your personality, which we psychologically denies or tend to cover.  No one likes to hear that you are lazy, or coward, or dull, or bad. And this is the main challenge,  by recognizing you wil have the chance to do something with it.

Many like to enhance their positive sides, make it even stronger, and in this way you will generally increase your self awareness, and thereby increasing the possibility of influencing the less developed part of your personality as well.

Getting feedback.  Get feedback  from persons whom you knew speaks true about you, a person who you love or trust. Because this person know your negative and your positive sides, and she knew how to deal with you, she will always finds her way to say things in a manner that doesn't hurt nor disappoint, for this is the way we want to get feedback.

But sometimes, there is no other way to say a negative word, you can't wrap the word in a cotton, so you get a smooth impact that doesnt not tear your heart. So be prepare for it, and here, there is always someone who has the ability to utter negative words, with the right tone and respectful voice that makes you listen and relax. My friend has got this ability, how lucky I am.

Communication, is an art, and you can always find the best words to describe the negative part of a person in a more tactful manner. And you end up thanking this person so much for telling you the truth. A constructive criticism done with love.

Two-way self development.  If I may call it that way.You might be asked in return by this friend of yours, to do the same, by giving feedback to him/her.
Despite of our difference in personalities, you may well give the feedback in the same manner, as you love this friend of yours, you will give feedback in the same manner as your friends did to you, with  candidness and respect. Then both of you have gone that far in your self development.

Respectful and constructive criticism. If I may say it that way, is possible, but this is more of an ability, a unique ability of a person that gives feedback. Abilities like tactfulness, sincere, democratic, kind, and loving.  Very few people has this gift.
And I am not sure if the word criticism is the right one to use. Maybe feedback is much better word to use.

My norwegian friend through 35 years, knows me (through thick and thin) maybe more than I know myself. She is a very attentive person, quiet in nature and she has the unique ability to listen. How I wish I could say the same about myself. She will tell you words that describes your positive and negative traits in a diplomatic and tactful manner, she can never hurt somebody, because she is tactful and bright and yet very humble. She loves to read and do puzzles. I adore this friend of mine. And I hope I have been able to contribute something to her self-development as much as she has contributed much of my self-development. She has also a heart of gold and her heart is filled with unconditional love. In fact all the stray-cats far and near has found their way to her house. She always have food and water to drink for them.

I know I still have so much to learn but I also know that I have come that far <3