We all judge. All the time. We judge ourselves, we judge others. It’s unrealistic to expect this to stop, but we can strive to judge less.

Why?

Because we lose energy to judging. Like any negative feeling, it affects our well-being even if it’s only directed at others.

When we judge someone else, we’re usually making assumptions about them instead of communicating or finding out what’s really going on. We resent them because of the fiction we’ve created!

Judging is painful and drains our energy. Loving or accepting is centering, uplifting, positive.

Follow these steps to judge less and find more balance:

1. Pause

Say: ?Oh, I’m judging again. Let me pause and check what’s going on.?

2. Observe

Say: ?What’s actually happening?? without deciding if it’s good or bad.

3. Put yourself in their shoes

Say: ?If I put myself in their shoes, what might be the reason they do what they do??

If you’re judging yourself, put someone else in your shoes ? imagine how a stranger might look at the situation.

4. Forgive

Say: ?I choose to accept and forgive. I won’t waste my energy on this negativity.?

5. Change your perception

Say: ?Having made my choice to stay balanced, what’s a different way to look at the situation??

?It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.? ~Henry David Thoreau

Instead of letting it control your life or feeling disappointed with yourself when it happens, accept judgment as a natural part of life and follow these steps to do it less.

The result: You’ll free your energy for something better!