GLENS FALLS AUTHOR PROFITS FROM CRITICS.(Living Today)

Byline: Patrick Kurp Staff writer

When criticized, most of us turn into children - and not very pleasant children at that.

Typically, we defend ourselves, deny the allegation, launch a counterattack or withdraw into stony silence. Mary Lynne Heldmann is convinced such knee-jerk reactions are not only dishonest and ineffective but downright self-destructive.

"Instead of letting criticism make a victim of you, use it as an opportunity for growth and change," said the Glens Falls business consultant who has just published her first book, "When Words Hurt."

Heldmann runs her own consulting firm, Heldmann Associates, whose clients include IBM …