Judgement can be powerful if you allow it to be.

Despite all the work I’ve done on myself over the years, I still find that there are times when I judge others. If I can catch myself doing this, I’ll immediately apologize in my head to the “victim” of my unloving thoughts. In many ways, this practice has helped me improve on passing judgment in the first place.

The act of judging others is a signal that there is something within ourselves that needs attention. I’ve known this for years and, while making the silent apology is one step of recognizing it, I’ve recently realized that there’s something more I can do. I have started a new habit – to breathe through the judgment and take the time to actually honor the gift or lesson of the experience.

With this additional step, I’ve realized that I actually feel more inspired, even more human and just plain LOVED. It is becoming easier to love myself because, rather than judging and beating myself up over my thoughts, I am appreciating them as displays of my humanity.

Byron Katie is a phenomenal teacher of this very same practice. In essence, her teachings encourage the following process:

1. Allow yourself to judge

2. Apologize to the person or experience

3. Try to understand the cause of the judgement

4. Breathe through the feeling

5. Allow yourself to be human and lovable as you are.

Next time you find yourself in “judgment mode” – whether toward yourself or another person – I invite you to try this technique. I also encourage you to learn more about Byron Katie’s teachings on her website at: www.thework.com

Mantra: I see my judgments as a gift to honor my humanness. I breathe through them and know that I am lovable for my humanness.