Letting Go of Judgment

Following up on last week’s theme of attracting good, one way to draw into our lives more of what we need and desire is to minimize judgment. Ideally it would be best if we could eliminate it altogether, but I’ve not met anyone who’s done that, although there may well be a few who have. When I say eliminate judgment, I don’t mean finding whatever anyone does as acceptable, because clearly some things are not. I’m referring to finding the behavior unacceptable rather than the person.

The first step is to recognize when we’re into judgment. When I find myself judging another, I remind myself that I don’t know the whole story. I have no idea of that person’s history, upbringing, environment, mental state, or other factors that influence behavior. Take physical condition, for instance. Chronic pain can deeply affect someone’s thinking, attitude and behavior. If I’m not careful, I can take for granted the amazing parents I was gifted with and forget that everyone did not have the benefit of such effective, loving parenting.

One way I turn my thoughts around is to visualize a group of people who love me assembled together, smiling broadly as if for a photo. I place the person I’ve been judging in the center of the group, surrounded by all that love and goodwill. I see the individual smiling, too, even if I’ve never actually seen the person smile. This usually does the trick and I find myself able to let go of the negativity I’d been holding. I invite you to give this a try the next time you’re encountering someone whose actions you find questionable. It’s not only effective, but fun!