MEDITATION: "Being Non-Judgmental"
One of the best habits I can develop in the future is being non-judgmental -- but it won’t be easy. I have been an incorrigible “judge” on a daily, hourly, and moment-by-moment basis for my entire life. I constantly assess every aspect of my life as to whether it’s good or bad, helpful or not helpful, harmless or dangerous. The way I continually pass judgment, I may as well go around in judge’s robes with a gavel in my hand. It’s truly odd that I would set myself up as a judge, given the fact that I have no particular wisdom with which to pass judgment on whether a present moment is good for me or not. How can one isolated individual in this endless universe possibly know enough to assess the value of a given situation? Since there are an incalculable number of possible ramifications for every occurrence in my life, how can I, a mere mortal, pretend to be able to decide which occurrences will be ultimately good for me, and which will be bad? It’s actually shocking to me to think I have spent so much time – most of my waking hours – sitting in judgment on everything, from people to events to situations. It’s shocking because it tells me I have missed an enormous amount of the wonder of life by being so focused on handing down verdicts. While I was habitually deciding if each single moment in my life was a good or bad one, these glorious moments were flashing right past me. What I need to do is develop another habit – the habit of being non-judgmental. I need to realize that each and every moment this universe creates is somehow appropriate, useful, and beautiful. Instead of judging, I need to accept. Instead of being opinionated about everything that happens to me, I need to practice being constantly amazed.
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