have you ever been judged

have you ever been judged 

by people who don't even know you

yet somehow believe that they are right

and you are wrong, 

based on what they think they know about you

and based on their opinions of what they think they know?

have you ever been lectured

by someone who doesn't know you

yet has made assumptions about you

and believing that those assumptions are true,

thinks he or she knows more about your life

than you do,

more about what you should or shouldn't be doing,

more about who you should or shouldn't be ... ?

or how about by someone who knows you,

but doesn't ... "know" you ...

unfortunately i think most of us have been there at some time or another!

in my experiences, most of the times when this has happened,

it has been by people who are devout christians or strong believers of some faith

which somehow, which i don't understand, 

affords them the illusory position of being better than me,

more capable of determining right from wrong,

and actually powerful enough to pass judgment and condemn me

based solely on the imagination in their very closed mind.

i find it sad that anyone would claim a lifestyle based on love,

yet reject the very act of loving,

and reject another human being,

thereby rejecting the true foundation of religions all around the world.

are we here to judge?

or are we here to learn ...

are we here to criticize?

or are we here to grow ...

are we here to reject others?

or are we here to love others ...

once upon a time ...

once upon a time each one of us was a child
with big sparkling eyes
an innocent and trusting heart
hopeful to please
and a desire to be loved.
learning our world through the world of those around us.

how we got from there to here was largely formed by the way we perceived ourselves to be valued in the eyes
and hearts
and lives
of others.

one day, each child before us will be an adult
and how they get from here to there ... will be the same.

a breakdown in this journey can change everything
and it can happen in an instant.

maybe it has happened to you, maybe you have witnessed it happening, or maybe you have been the speaker, without even knowing it.

failing to consider the heart of a child when we speak to them can be the fastest way to cause huge damage with even the tiniest of words.

but we can remember their innocence.
respect their vulnerability.
and honor their beautiful souls.
all it takes is an awareness
and the effort to be conscious instead of careless.

let us all choose to consciously build our children up, not carelessly tear them down.


"The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice."  -Peggy O'Mara

go where the love is

i believe in living our lives with people
who make it not only possible
but easy
to become the whole of who we are,
in humanity, in spirit, and in love. 

i believe if there are people
who are preventing us from being free and genuine,
in the face of the world,
in living the life we were given,
then we should distance ourselves from those people. 

i know that there is growth for us
in even the negative relationships and encounters that we have.  

and i also know 
that the ones who lift us higher
and free our souls
are the ones
we belong with. 

heart over mind over matter

♥
you have 24 hours in each day. 

you will only be awake for a fraction of those hours. 

how do you want to spend that time?

do you want to see your dreams come to life?
or do you want to see your fears come to life ...

do you want to bring your dreams to life?
or bring your fears ...

do you want to breathe life into your dreams?
or life into your fears...

your heart knows your truth

and all the answers are inside you.

you can keep thinking about what you want to do and where you want to be,
or you can think less 
and go where your heart leads you ...

♥

♥