The Blossoming of the Soul – 6th Installment
I last wrote regarding this topic this past July. I suddenly realize now what a wonderful summer we enjoyed with family, grandkids, friends, seminars, speaking engagements and, now and then, a good night’s sleep. A good night’s sleep is never mentioned in the same sentence with our grandchildren, because when they are with us, sleep is always an after-thought.
The blossoming of our souls, Diane’s and mine, are closely linked to our relationship with those four beautiful little beings, so for me it is a pleasant lead-in to our topic…Judgment. Staying out of it that is.
Many people who seek to lead a simple and spiritual life ask the question, “What things should I do to build a truly satisfying and authentic spiritual life?” I’d have to say there are as many pathways that work as there are people practicing love, kindness, compassion, understanding and forgiveness in their own very personal ways. I’d like to suggest another practice that goes right with these other principles. Remain free of judgment.
I’m not suggesting that making decisions about what is best for us personally is in any way bad. Deciding what food I buy to support my personal health is about making comparative judgments as to what satisfies my and my loved ones’ highest good. Personal discernment is a positive and necessary part of being human.
What I am talking about are the infinite judgments comparing ourselves, our behaviors and so many personal attributes to others. Who is smarter, better, nicer or richer? Whom don’t I like? Who angers me, or frustrates me?
We are judging machines, aren’t we? How do I judge myself against all of these billions of people in terms of culture? Advertising, politics, movies and books, schools, restaurants, clothing stores all operate on the bias of our judging ourselves against others. Without judgment, who listens to Bill O’Reilly or Bill Moyers? Think of all those who are anxious to direct us to their appointed good guys and bad guys?
Much of what society places in front of us to spark our judgment seems designed to pull us out of our center, to make us upset, sad, angry, doubtful or fearful. Health science tells us that when we lose our balance, our optimism, our personal satisfaction and peace, then our decision-making ability drops sharply, our immune system functions poorly and our physical strength actually decreases.
These are excellent reasons to remain judgment free, don’t you think? In light of this information, why do our governmental and business leaders work so hard to keep us off balance and in fear, anger and doubt? Think of what is going on right now with this election cycle.
The very best psychoanalysts in the past century, names like Freud, Jung, Milton Erickson and David Hawkins, all claimed that our fears and frustrations and emotional upsets were the result of projecting our deep self-doubts and self- hatred onto others. They claim we make every effort to place our guilt about our shortcomings as far away as possible. And just how damaging is that judgment when projected onto others, especially our children and family members!
If every judgment you and I make of others, is replaced by love, kindness, acceptance understanding, compassion and forgiveness, just how transformative would that be in your family, your community, your nation and the world. I ask you to sit with this one thought in contemplation to let it sink in. The world changes in a heartbeat.
Who has not heard or read stories of the miraculous changes in attitudes and health occurring just precisely because of a shift from judgment to acceptance and compassion? If you would like to read several of them, please contact me and I’ll send them on to you. Limitless Power!!!
So as an experiential step in a healthy direction, choose one person or one compulsive judgment you are prone to make, and work consciously at changing it to acceptance and understanding. Give it a month of full focus and effort. You most likely will discover a power within you never realized is there.
Tom
Recent Comments