S2 E21 When I Feel Judged

MIND. BODY. PURPOSE.

Part of the human experience is judging and feeling judged. When we feel judged, our instinct is usually to either fight back, be defensive, prove our case and justify, OR to turn our back, build a wall, discredit the source, and feel divided.

Rather than responding to judgement with "fight" or "flight," today we are discussing other ways to address judgement, so that we can experience our lives more intentionally, more peaceably, more connectedly, and more in line with who we want to be.

MIND: Know that your worth is not at stake.

Regardless of feedback or judgement we might receive from others (or even from ourselves), the truth is that our value is constant. Even though we might feel terrible or we might think that we have done something wrong and we are deserving of judgement, at the core we are still of worth. Always.

If we feel defensive and like we need to build a case for our choices, we are probably feeling fearful or shameful, and looking for validation. If we are already sure of our innate goodness, our well-intendedness, our love, then we don't need to fear or defend or explain, but rather we can sit in peace, knowing the truth of who we are. Don't fight back, don't defend, don't judge back.

BODY: Choose what to let in to your space.

Visualize a "bubble" of protection and know that the energy of other people's feedback doesn't have to internalize in your space. Give yourself the gift of choosing what to consider and what to let slide away. Be an "energy ninja," capable of staying grounded and at peace no matter what is coming your way, because you can gracefully move and dodge and shift to let foreign energy pass on by.

This is also an opportunity to practice feeling amused; being able to "sit back" and be an observer brings some lightness instead of unnecessary gravity to perceived judgement. Amusement helps us to forgive ourselves as well as others.

PURPOSE: Do something kind.

When we feel judged, kindness is not typically our default. BUT it is a powerful place to direct ourselves, because kindness has a way of shifting our current experience into something that feels nourishing and beautiful. It takes us out of our "lower" brains and into a higher place where we get to experience more of who we really are.

The best example we have of someone who dealt with being judged is Jesus Christ; he knew who he was, and therefore wasn’t shaken by other people’s judgements or opinions. Kindness was his default. Judgements didn’t enter and influence his spirit; he had the personal authority to see the truth, and stay in a place of love.

--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/michelle48/message