Judging..

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Y'all. This is so true.

When I pinned this last night, it was like a light bulb went off. Not that I haven't felt this way for a while, but I woke up thinking about it. I guess I just need to get some of my thoughts out.

The thing about judging people is that it is so very unnecessary and so pointless. Think about it. What purpose does judging EVER serve?

Now, I am the first one to admit that I have definitely judged others, and guess what, I'm not proud of it and it didn't make me feel any better about myself. If anything, it made me feel small. Real small. 

Here's the thing..not one person on this Earth is perfect. Not ONE. So, who am I or you, to judge someone else based on their looks, attitude, personality, who they love, who they are friends with, what color they are, where they are from, what clothes they are wearing, etc? 

I used to be a judger. Yep. A real big one. But, y'all, I was insecure. I was hurt. And, I thought that focusing on others flaws would make me feel better about my own. Guess where that got me? Not very far. I am sure, however, that it cost me knowing some people that I bet were really great.

Knowing how insecure I was also helps me to understand a little better why other people treat people the way that they do. In judging others, you are showing people how insecure and unhappy you are, it's not saying anything at all about them. And, that bitterness you're carrying around, it's not hurting anyone else, just you. Thinking that people don't know when you are pitting them against one another, yeah, surely people have caught on to that too. Insecurity does some nasty things, if you let it.

Here's what I have realized..

I have loved immensely.

I have lost tremendously.

I have laughed hard. 

I have cried harder.

I have been free.

I have been broken.

And, you know what? So has everyone else. No one has lived a life without sadness, without pain. That brokenness does NOT give me a right or a 'pass' to treat people as if I am better than they are. And, it doesn't give you one either.

I read this quote in a book while in high school, and anytime I don't understand why people act the way they do, this reminds me to try to be patient and understanding. It is amazing how something I read one time has stuck with me..I think it's because looking at the things that have shaped and molded my life, good and bad, I realize this to be true. So, next time you want to judge someone, or treat them as if they are beneath you, or just be hateful or spiteful, remember, you have no right. And, loving people feels so much better. :)

If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

xoxo,

Heather