As we are changing seasons, it’s so interesting how Mother Nature has it all figured out! Just about the time that we are comfortable (and sometimes even tired) with what one season has to offer, in her infinite wisdom she mixes it up and allows us to refresh, refocus and reinvent. As we move from summer to fall, there’s the natural transition of letting go of the energy of the past months and hopefully any judgment attached to it, and turning our attention to the upcoming season with curiosity about the possibilities. Nature, which is rooted in new, the here and now and always seeking growth and balance, has a lesson for us.
Let’s face it though; we’re a bit different from Mother Nature in that we’re all creatures of habit, spending a fair amount of our life in repetitive patterns. We strive to set and hold routines that keep us within our comfort zone helping us to maintain our current self-identity and feelings of safety. We think that this familiarity helps us sleep at night. Problem is, that in our routine of living yesterday again today and tomorrow, we are quick to develop opinions about anything that we see as a threat to our status quo. When we sit in this judgment, we can count on the fact that we are seeing the world through a limited lens, devoid of new possibilities, opportunities and scenarios, doomed to repeat the past over again.
So, what exactly is judgment and how does it show up in your life? Judgment is a formed opinion that carries with it a decision steeped in your current belief system. The judgment can be about yourself and your capabilities, about others, about situations or circumstances and is expressed inwardly with self-sabotaging mind chatter. Judgments are rooted in your current limited perception and attachment to prior experiences. When we are attached to judgment we are stuck in the past and rooted in apprehension, fear, doubt and hopelessness. Judgment makes you feel bad about yourself and/or others and says that what you currently view is an absolute, a dead-end, a proclamation of a self-fulfilling prophecy, without the hope of a different, better and more enlivening view and outcome for yourself.
The antidote is your curiosity! If judgment is the glue that keeps you stuck, then curiosity is the tool that takes you to the world of change and possibilities. New realities and results lie just beyond your first query. Your inquisitiveness will re-energize you, instill hope, activate creativity and have you pondering new dreams and scenarios. When you are interested in growing beyond what you are currently feeling and creating in your life, curiosity is one of the most powerful tools to use. Why? Because curiosity calls you out, challenges old assumptions, grows your emotional intelligence, and increases your threshold for new emotions, reactions, experiences and results. These days, we all need more of that!
So how do you switch from judgment to curiosity? Start by listening to your voice when you are in judgment. Hear that statement? Hear its heaviness, its hopelessness, its negativity? Hear it telling you what is not possible rather than what is? Hear it activating the doubter rather than the dreamer?
Now, apply new inflection to the same statement, using a tone of voice that is more gentle, kind and very curious about the possibilities. Stretch the internal questioning out, it’s a key component. Allow the first question to generate a second and more until you find yourself wondering about the initial statement in a positive way. What are the possibilities that are open to you? What if …? Know that when you open your mind and eyes to those new possibilities, you will see them.
Next, take one small action step that is rooted in your decision to change your perception, break the unconscious habit you have in place and grow your awareness and results. Deliberate action leads to successful change
We are currently in the throes of rapid change with much more to come; that’s a guarantee. It’s time to quit scaring ourselves and stopping ourselves just short of a vibrant future and understand that we are in charge of where we are going and how we get there. What we need to bring to our life and our future is a new awareness, new tools, new decisions and new habits.
While the structures and belief systems that we’ve held close are being challenged, our very best bet is to embrace change in the areas of our life where we need the most relief and hope. How do we best go about this? By saying goodbye judgment and hello curiosity! Begin working with this life changing principle today, you’ll be amazed at your ability to create more of the life you really want to live!
