Whether we realise it or not we are constantly judging people and the decisions they make. A question I think it is healthy to ask ourselves is "Are we judging people on what we know of them or purely on our own preconceptions?"
How often have we judged someone, maybe a little harshly, for something they have said or done, without stopping to ask ourselves "Did they make that choice for the same reasons I would have, or did they perhaps have other reasons?"
Your answer, no doubt would vary depending on a number of factors; the mindset you were in at the time, an emotional response their action ignited in you, purely a matter of timing, or your own self-awareness, to name but a few.
These judgments might not appear to be that significant but how about you put yourself on the other side of this situation? Take a moment now to think about how people's behaviour towards you has impacted your life, and not just the small isolated incidents but the build-up that occurs every time you have felt judged by someone that if they knew you, even a little more, might have responded differently.
If we are honest we all want to be understood, we all want to make real connections with people, and "we want people to get us."
That feeling when you know someone sees you for who you are is one of the most liberating and empowering feelings anyone can experience.
We are all busy people rushing from one thing to the next but imagine just for one moment what could happen if we took an extra couple of minutes, even just now and again, to try and understand someone just a smidge more. What would we discover if we asked questions, genuinely open questions, and then allowed that person to offer you their honest answer? It's all about coming to situations in the spirit of understanding and in the process, you never know you might also give them a better understanding of who you are and your choices.
At the end of the day, we are all a work in progress looking to enrich our lives and our connections to the world and the people in it!
