Do you ever catch yourself in the middle of judging someone else? We all do, right?

I’ll be totally honest, since I started on my own personal growth and spiritual journey I’ve had to work really hard to release a lot of judgement — judgement I wasn’t even aware that I had. And I’m still working on it. It’s a daily practice, and I know I’ll probably never be completely judgement free, but what I have found is the more judgement I am able to release the more freedom I feel in my own life.

Judgement comes in many forms. It may look like gossiping, complaining about other people who do things that irritate or annoy us or simply being critical of others, but it’s all the same. A Course in Miracles tells us, “You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgement.”

I want you to really marinate on that one for a second.

The truth is, when we judge others we are actually judging ourselves. It’s not always the easiest pill to swallow, but it’s true. Have you ever noticed that when you have a mean or nasty thought about someone, you always feel crappy afterward? The reason for that is because the basis of any judgment we form against someone else always lies in a belief or judgement we have about ourself, even if we’re unable to recognize it. In fact, we generally don’t recognize it. By continuing to pass judgement on others, it allows us to perpetuate the illusion that whatever we’re judging is ‘outside’ ourselves, when in actuality, the judgement lies within. When we attack others, even mentally, we are only attacking ourselves.

All judgement is based in fear, and fear is the absence of love. When we judge someone or something, we are deeming them different or separate from ourselves. In reality, spiritually speaking, we are all one. By continuing to judge, we take ourselves farther away from that oneness, the source of love from which we are all derived, and so we feel crappy as a result.

Make sense?

The good news here is by consciously making the decision to be willing to let go of judging others we actually release ourselves from the grip of our own judgement. In doing so, we allow ourselves to return to that source of love which is our true nature. We become happier, less critical of ourselves  and we welcome more love into our lives. And isn’t that the goal, after all?

So, how do we let go of judgement then?

The first step is to try to stay conscious of when we are judging (or gossiping or criticizing) in the moment. This can be tricky at first, but it gets easier with practice. The next step is to have the willingness to let the judgement go and see things from a different perspective. Once we become curious and question the real reason behind the judgement, we can then welcome in more loving thoughts or actions.

Got it?

Do you have a judgement that you’re ready to release?

I’ll go first and be honest here. I often find myself judging other newbie entrepreneurs who are in the same boat as me, working on getting their business up and running. I’ll find myself pouring over their stuff with a super critical eye and I literally have to stop myself in the moment and make a conscious choice to see things differently. I know it stems from fears and insecurity I have surrounding my own business, and I am ready and willing to let it go so that I can move beyond it.

I know it’s not exactly a pretty subject, but if you feel comfortable sharing I’d love to support you with whatever you’re ready to let go. Let me know in the comments section!

As always, have a beautiful day, friends. <3

xoxo

Kristi