Judgment is one of those words that feels heavy. However, it really is beneficial because it helps us make informed decisions, assess situations, and distinguish between right and wrong. This awareness can help us navigate life's complexities and can assist us in making more responsible choices.
Judgment can be detrimental when it leads to prejudice, discrimination, or hasty decisions based on limited information. Unwarranted judgment can hinder open-mindedness and empathy, potentially causing misunderstanding and eventual conflict.
We often rest in the judgment of others when their position does not equal ours. Our fears, opinions, behavior patterns, and first impressions hamper our preconceptions; we should ask ourselves where these judgments come when we think negatively or behave judgmentally from. Become the observer of yourself. Once we gain our center, we can reinforce our open-mindedness by putting our feelings into words because we have identified the root of our own judgments. This is the first path to compassion, recognizing we are all doing our best, allowing for more instead of leaving no room for other possibilities.
Mother Teresa said, "If you judge people, you don't have time to love them." When we step back and observe rather than react, we replace fear-based criticism with tender appreciation. We understand there could be more in the moment, more in this person, such as the spark that burns brightly in all of us.
Affirmation
I breathe in, and as I exhale, I release any fear from my mind and body.
I breathe in, and as I exhale, I release old patterns of behavior that no longer represent who I am.
I breathe in love, and I exhale; I release any negativity, angst, or sorrow,
I am free, I am at peace, I am love.
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