What would your life be like without this word?

Being free of judgment may bring you peace. It may also trigger fearful, polarizing thoughts because the ego wants to be in control. Our beliefs dictate how we should, and should not, think, act, or feel.

My parents were highly critical and judgmental. As a child, I unknowingly downloaded their viral programs into my mental computer. Though I now run my anti-viral software, I still find my inner critic popping up to remind me that life is a struggle or that I’m not good enough.

Judgment is the tool that the ego uses to create walls of separation. Our identities are forged out of judgments that have been handed down, like old clothes. Add emotions to the beliefs and those clothes get super-glued to the skin. After awhile, we wear our judgments without much thought until someone points them out. Ouch!

We can shift away from our judgments when we act as a witness, meaning that we remain present with whatever is, without judging whether it is right or wrong. Witnessing helps us release our attachment to opinions and thoughts that create separateness from others. We can then move from restriction to curiosity, openness, and expansion. From that place, we can notice our senses, feel our emotions, and recognize our thoughts.

Try practicing the art of witnessing by answering three questions:

1. How are you judging yourself now?
2. When you judge yourself, what physical sensations do you have?
3. What’s it like to not judge yourself?

The questions ask us to turn inward and notice what’s going on. We may be telling ourselves to get busy, to struggle, or to slow down. When we judge, we often feel physical tension, such as muscles contracting in our shoulders, chest, or stomach. Without judgment, we have a greater acceptance and appreciation of who we are. That brings lightness, relief, and compassion.

As you become your own witness, you create the space for love and inner peace.

Welcome Home.
Leonard