Mother Teresa said, “If you are judging others, you have no time to love them.”

There is one thing that I know for certain… and that is that I am my own worst critic. When I was younger, I was very critical of other people. I was also very insecure, and honestly, just didn’t even like myself a whole lot. This reflected outwardly as I judged others.

Over the years, I have gratefully built up an awesome self-love tool belt that has helped me honor and accept my past as well as who I am today.

One of my favorite tools is this… when I notice myself judging and ready to criticize others, I take a deep breath and ask myself what I am really feeling. I learned that focusing on other people was simply a distraction from myself. I never really understood the saying that the whole world is my mirror. One day, the meaning of that saying finally clicked. I began to see that what I thought and felt about people and situations in my life, was simply a reflection of how I saw and felt about myself.

As I remembered to take a deep breath and turn my focus away from the person I was judging and criticizing, and put the attention back to myself, I began to learn a lot about myself.

I learned how afraid of loss and abandonment I was.

I learned how afraid I was of not being good enough.

I learned how I didn’t really feel worthy of a healthy relationship or of being loved.

I learned how self-defeating I really was.

Let me tell you, when I began using judgment as an opportunity to learn about myself, the tables changed in my own personal healing process.

I had a multitude of opportunities to practice letting go of this judgment thing!!! I felt like I was going to a self-love boot camp! Every day there were so many opportunities to learn about myself! Judgment here! Judgment there! Judgment, judgment everywhere!

I would remind myself to be gentle and that change takes time. Every time I remembered to take a deep breath and focus back on myself I felt like I had won a battle! What was I feeling in that moment? As I observed those feelings, I would take a mental note and journal about it later in the evening. Day after day of committing to this, I began to notice that judgment for others seemed to disappear and gratitude magically stepped in and became the new experience.

Judgment isn’t bad. It really isn’t. In fact, it has been one of my greatest teachers. @intuitionheals (Click to Tweet!)

Because of judgment, I have learned:

….. that anything real cannot be lost or taken away.

….. that I am good enough, I am amazing really . Not just good enough.

….. that I am worthy of healthy and loving relationships in my life.

….. that I am worthy of being honored and understood.

Have you been struggling with judgment and criticism? If so, I want to know! Share below so we can connect! When we share our situations and our stories, we are inspiring others to do the same!

Huge hugs to you and your beautiful Heart!

Robin

Robin Lee is a medical intuitive, author, mentor, gratitude advocate, and speaker who has helped thousands of people around the world understand the language of their bodies. Robin believes that our bodies innately know how to balance and heal themselves if given proper care and support. Visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Twitter, where she shares tips, tools, and techniques to honor our bodies and heal our lives!

Image courtesy of Jim Jackson.