Non judgment
Day four of no judgment. Live free of judgment - unto myself and unto others.
What does this mean?
Simple. It means I don’t judge myself for who and how I am:
Am I good enough?
Am I appreciated?
Am I patient? Kind? Generous?
It also means I don’t judge others for who and how they are:
Why did they do that?
Was that intentional?
Why do they behave this way?
Stripped of judgment, we have little to worry about. We don’t have to worry if we are loved or abandoned, cared for or unwanted, alone or fulfilled, craving or filled.
Does this mean we are void of all thinking, feelings and emotions?
No, it means you let go of what you don’t have control over (the future, others’ opinions and actions), and you focus on what you have right here, right now - the present moment.
When you realize that nothing is certain and nothing you own right now belongs to you forever, you learn to live very humbly and gently on this earth.
Pic by Stephen Hiebert, my hiking buddy, a veteran of numerous 14’ers in the U.S. Pic taken at Mt Langley, California, July 2017
I’m at a crossroad right now (aren’t I, always? Aren’t we all, ever so often? It seems to hit harder and more frequently as I advance in age, so I’ve noticed) and looming high above me are signs which point to vastly opposing directions. I’m so small, so stark against the forces of the universe I feel rather helpless. Which path do I take? If I choose this, what would happen next? If I choose that, what would happen then? I don’t know how to move forward.
At this crossroad, it is more pertinent than ever before to practice non judgment and to trust in the infinite possibilities that uncertainty brings.
All shall be well
Change happens inside out. Change doesn’t happen outside in. What this means is that our external circumstances, problems and worries are evident and real, but when we are fully mindful of the space between the past and the future, the space we call NOW, it brings about a serenity that All is well, All shall be well.
Not one area shall be well, but that ALL areas shall be well. How do we know or trust that ALL shall be well?
The space between
You see, that space between the past and the future is the practice of stillness which could be accomplished with meditation - in observing the most basic of the essence of life, i.e. the breath, we center ourselves to the present moment where we are not listening to the chaos of the world, our incessant and often irrational thoughts or chasing delusions of the future; instead, we are fully aware of the current situation and how we ought to live.
As long as we have now, we have the future. As long as we have now, we are taking steps into the future which, yes, might be uncertain, but is also infinite and limitless. And with infinite possibilities, how could goodness not be a part of it?
Right now I don’t have answers. But I have NOW. I have this present moment to live. And so I do, one breath at a time, one step at a time, and the miracle of the NOW is that when I live, fully aware and mindful of the present moment, it leads me forward.
Today I call to mind that as long as I’m breathing, there is life, there is hope, there is a way forward, and there are solutions.
So today, all joy, creativity, power and love are mine to have. All is well.
Pic by Angeline Tan. Sunrise over the surrounding region of Mt Langley, California, July 2017