Most of us make judgments about the things we experience in our lives. It’s natural to have preferences. We can decide we prefer one experience to another, but when we begin to apply our preferences to make judgements about the value or worth of an experience, situation, or person, we are firmly rooted in separation, conflict, and suffering. We like to be able to classify things as either “good” or “bad” based on our perception of how these events affect our emotions. Do you find yourself making judgments on other people or their actions? Judgements imply that we are separate from others, and our insecurities and beliefs about “right” and “wrong” block us from seeing other perspectives or missing out on the “big picture”. In reality, nothing is inherently positive or negative, our values, beliefs, and programs (which are not us) determine how we judge and label the experiences we have.
If you find yourself criticizing or being contemptuous or dismissive of others, this is likely a reflection of the way you view yourself on a deeper level. You may dismiss your needs or views, or be overly critical of your own mistakes, which then is projected outward as negative judgements of these qualities in other people. Most of these judgements do not come from us. The families that raised and their values, cultural and religious programming, and society’s pressure to conform, are all ways that we have other people’s judgments imprinted into our belief systems. We accept these judgments as ours, and begin to see the world as “us” versus “them”. We struggle against the things we judge as “bad”, and this struggle creates suffering and pain within.
When we are finally able to release these judgments, we can be open to all of the experiences and new relationships life has to offer. When we are open to anything without deciding beforehand if something will be “good” or “bad” we can allow our lives to flow with more ease and less struggle. In this clearing, Mater Accelerator Bonnie Serratore will help free you from the bondage and restriction of your judgments, allowing you to fully participate in your life with appreciation, gratitude, and grace.