Strong Together

It has been eight days since my last post.

Life has been very busy, my friends and readers, and it has been particularly stressful the past several days. That is, however, no excuse for not writing. Hopefully my everyday activities have calmed down somewhat, which is why I am back today with a new post.

Today's topic is about reserving judgment. We all say we try not to judge others, but yet it seems that we do it anyway. Reserving judgment is something that takes willpower and the ability to put aside impressions of others until you get to know them.

When have you judged someone based on what you have seen or heard about them?

No seriously, think about it. In order to reverse our prejudices, judgments, and thoughts of people, we need to take a moment to reflect on why we actually let ourselves think those thoughts or believe those things. Oftentimes, taking a moment of self-reflection is a startling truth about ourselves as individuals and how we impact the lives of those around us. Now I want you to think about this:

When has someone judged you and how did it make you feel?

Chances are, it was hurtful. It may have made you sad, or upset. I'm not sure why we do this, but as humans we can sometimes have a tendency to be vengeful and retaliate. Please don't become a part of this vicious, never-ending cycle of judgments, lies, and deceit. We are - and can be - better than that.

Judging others only has negative impacts. It sows distrust among us, causes us to gossip and say terrible things, and ultimately, drives us apart. It occurs not only in our everyday lives, but in our world on a much larger scale. J.K. Rowling once wrote, "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." We need to believe that together, we can enact change. But first, we must set aside our differences and refrain from making sweeping judgments. 

Only then can we be positive forces in our lives and the lives of others.