It is a challenge this week!

Who is up for a challenge?

It won’t be easy, however the benefits will be worth it

Your relationships will begin to feel different (better) and you will get moments and flashes of inner peace.

Caveat…

We will need to open our minds to curiosity as well as brush up on our listening skills. Listen to when our own inner critic gets very loud and then consciously quieten that voice down so we can hold “space” for anyone around us.

Listen with curiosity instead of to judge or fix.

We will also need to begin each day with our stillness & silence meditation practice as this will set our intention on “fire” in our body & in our mind.

What is our challenge this week?

To not judge anyone or anything!!!

This means we do NOT judge;

• Ourselves
• Others
• Those who are judging others 
• Things
• Situations
• Circumstances

This is also a challenge of NO COMPLAINING

if we are complaining about anyone or anything – we are judging.

Just think how peaceful it will be in our mind when we are not judging anyone or anything. Once we experience the peace in our mind, this peace will flow into our body.

Let’s explore judgement a little further.

How do we know when we are judging?

We label people, things, situations as…

• Good
• Bad
• Right
• Wrong
• We may feel superior to others in a situation
• We may feel inferior to others in a situation
• We may think or feel we are unworthy
• We may criticize someone else into believing they are worthy
  

  Here are a few different ways that we judge;

  • We criticize, ourselves and others (which is an expression of disapproval)
  • We try to change others
  • We complain. Example – complaining about the weather is a judgement. Complaining about traffic is a judgement. Complaining about noise or smells, is a judgement.
  • We try to get others to see our point of view (meaning theirs must be wrong)
  • We are annoyed.

Can we judge something and still experience the shift in our relationships and peace in our lives?

Yes… with discernment.

The meaning of discernment is; the ability to judge well

People who are discerning are able to take a step back and observe. They can observe people, situations, things & circumstances without labeling them as good/bad/right/wrong etc.

I believe practicing  discernment in every situation is a great way to strengthen our intuitive muscles.

Deepak Chopra has a great practice for this. He recommends an acronym to use when one is wanting to make conscious choices.

This acronym is S.T.O.P

STOP

TAKE 3 deep breathes

OBSERVE

PROCEED

How could we use this acronym in our challenge this week?

When we are conscious/aware that we are judging or criticizing someone, ourself, things or situations…

S – Stop what you are doing/thinking/judging

T – Take 3 deep breathes

O – Observe (with curiosity) the situation, your thoughts & the judgements you are experiencing.

P – Proceed by consciously choose your next thought/word/action from the space of non-judgement. Perhaps instead of judging someone who is speaking to you, you could listen to what is good, kind, sincere & honest in them.

Is using this acronym realistic in our day?

If you have a daily meditation practice of sitting in stillness and silence,

you will KNOW this is very much doable and achievable.

If you truly desire to improve your relationships and discover inner peace for yourself,

this week will be BIG.

This challenge will be a game-changer.  

This Week’s Intention;

You of course can (and should) use words that resonate best with you and your own desires of intent, however here are a few suggestions to set this in motion for you. I invite you to use any of these following intentions, or use them as an example to create your own. As always, our daily intention can be very specific or very general;

“Today, I do not judge anyone or anything”

“Today, I do not complain about anyone or anything”

“Today, I do not criticize myself, others or anything that is happening around me”

“Today, I replace judgements with curiosity”

“Today, I am curious about everyone & everything”

“Today, I make a point of listening to what is good, kind, sincere & honest in whoever I am communicating with”

1. Start with your meditation in stillness & silence.
2. Breathe your intention for the day into your body and mind.
3. Sit with the intention as a mantra and notice any thoughts, resistance or emotions that come up for you. Not needing to change any of it – just observe it all.
4. Once your meditation is complete remind yourself of the powerful tool of your awareness and the acronym S.T.O.P that are both available to you at any time of your day.

Ready?

Set?

GO…

Enjoy the benefits of this powerful challenge.

Know this will not be easy, and that there is NO SUCH THING as failure here! If you become aware that you are judging, it is an opportunity to learn a lot about yourself and to consciously shift the way you are thinking at that moment. This will change your energy and your whole outlook. (Not to mention your relationship with yourself and others)

 NOTE: If you would like some additional tips on how to meditate, refer back to my Feb 28^th 2022 Blog post & Tap In “Intro to Meditation”

For some additional tips on how to tune into curiosity, refer back to my Mar 7^th 2022 Blog post & Tap In.

Now, Let’s Tap In this week’s challenge…