How to Use Judgment for Good

Every wrong we find about someone else is a judgment, and when we judge others, we attack them, not physically, but psychologically.

When we are critical, demeaning or dismissive of another person's actions or opinions, we are judging. Judgment is harsh. It is evil. It hurts to feel judged.

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Unfortunately, judgment is a natural human tendency, But, it is something for us all to work on. How? I would love to show you a way to turn judgment from something harmful to something good. Here we go:

When we have a strong negative reaction to someone, it is because they are reflecting traits we also possess but have been unwilling to accept.

Everyone we see around us is a reflection of ourselves, and the traits we see most clearly in others are the ones that are the strongest in ourselves. This is called the mirror effect, and it is a powerful tool for turning judgment from something harmful into something good.

The bottom line is this: When we see something we don't like about someone else, we are actually learning more about ourselves than the other person. Since people are mirrors, we can learn from them how to become the best version of ourselves.

So, instead of jumping on the judgment train the next time those nasty thoughts about another person creep up, notice it and accept it as a Divine invitation to look within. Here are a few examples:

• If you are judging someone for being selfish, ask God to show you where you are being selfish right now.
• If you are judging someone for being rude, think about where you might have been rude lately.
• If you are judging someone for being mean, ask God to show you where you have been mean recently.

I promise -- this exercise is not intended to bring you down and make you feel bad about yourself. Quite the contrary. This exercise brings you peace, because it takes your focus off of other people and helps you look at how you can be the best version of yourself. Remember, we can't change or control other people -- we can only change ourselves.

And when we change ourselves, we are changing the world! One person at a time, starting with us.