Judging

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 we were all struck with the same news of an unimaginable human catastrophe. Many lives were lost as we watched in shock and despair of what was taking place in front of our eyes. Not a common scene in America. We stood in disbelief of the invasion of our country by terrorists, an occurrence we believed only happened in other countries not ours. We were struck with the loss of life as we have never experienced before. We didn’t know quite how to feel or react to such an act. Knowing American military history, it was just a matter of time before the attacks hit the United States. It was the first time in my life I witnessed individuals being violently mistreated and judged because others thought they might be culturally related to the terrorists.

I am not making an excuse for those who took part in this tragic act of violence. It’s about opening our minds to understanding a bigger picture. If individuals were born into a culture where as a child a gun was placed in your hands and you were conditioned to hate with your heart, and your elders are setting these examples and living by them; most often than not, you will become one of them. This is their truth and reality. These individuals had no choice in how they were raised and conditioned. It is difficult to blame a person’s action without truly understanding and knowing their history. We can’t judge or define a culture, race, ethnicity based on the actions of a few individuals.

This type of conditioning occurs in our country every day. It’s easy to look at an abusive parent and ask, “What kind of parent could do such a thing?” What if that parent was raised in an abusive home and made to understand that abuse is the meaning of love? Or, they could have been raised in foster homes that didn’t foster love? We see individuals on drugs and automatically think it is by choice. We don’t know if their mother had a substance abuse problem while pregnant causing direct harm to the fetus’s brain and developing a chemical dependency while in the womb. We look at executives or companies, indulging in greed, who places profits at the expense of employees. What if the owner of the company was raised being rewarded with financial presents their whole lives instead of hugs, love, kisses, or simply being informed they did a great job? They were taught that the more money you obtain, the more successful you are replacing love with finance.

We are fast to place blame and point the finger. We are fast to cast the first stone without even processing the situation with all the evidence. It is so easy to jump on the band wagon than stand alone with your convictions. One of the easiest things to do is judge. This is one of the most difficult habits to break because of various issues blocking personal growth and keeping us from living in a healthy state of mind. When we judge, we dig deep inside ourselves and bring forth our negativity towards another; we are causing much harm to others as well as ourselves. We reinforce the negative emotions into our bodies and mind making it that much more difficult to practice the act of loving. We should never harm ourselves in such a manner—or others. We have to evolve and not judge on any level, especially the common ways in which we do judge others: appearance, color, race, styles, disabilities, height, occupation, and residencies.

It is not our place to judge others nor is it the right way to process life for a healthy outcome. Judgment is produced based on negative emotions triggered by processing others or a situation using our fears and ego to filter life. Most of the time we will never know all the facts behind unforeseen circumstances that occur in front of our eyes. The human spirit can only sustain so much before it breaks down, and the exterior elements take over despite of what is felt inside. Which is why we need to give away the love we generate whenever we can. To assist others and rejuvenate our own. We live in a country with an abundance of freedom and somehow we still choose to encase our minds and hearts from expansion and growth. The kind gestures that we practice will assist by transforming our internal core of viewing others without judgment. We will view people and situations for what they are instead of generating negativity and attaching it to individuals by letting our emotions get the best of us. We will then process life through a healthy and positive filter, allowing growth and love to lead the way.