How not to be a judgemental a-hole and other fun facts

Hello summer! WOW! We've had record-breaking heat the last few days. Today is another one with a high of 115f (46c)!

Many businesses are closed, public transportation is canceled until Tuesday, and many people left town for cooler places.

I know there are other parts of our country that probably think we are overreacting since these temperatures are somewhat normal for them (hello Phoenix), but that seems to be the case in cold or high temps. For instance, several years ago in Alabama, we had a few days of snow and ice. The whole city shut down and people were stranded in their cars due to ice on the roads. People from other states, where snow and ice are common, laughed at the situation and made fun of us not being able to handle it.

But how often do we quickly judge others or their situation without putting ourselves in their shoes? Or worse...assuming we know ALL aspects of the situation and base our judgment on what we *think* we know. Have you ever been quick to judge, only to later learn something more about the situation and change your perception?

Most homes in the pacific northwest don't have air conditioning, there simply hasn't been a need for it. Just as most cities in the south don't have salt for roads or snowplows. Why would they? It hasn't been necessary. When you consider those facts, the story becomes a little more clear and your perception changes.

Sometimes, it can be hard to put ourselves in someone else's shoes and keep in mind we don't know all of the facts. Even if we *think* we do...we do not. Our ego gets in the way and we are unable to realize each person's life and experiences are just as complex as our own. Hell, we don't know everything about our own lives...how can we think we know everything about someone else's?

Is there someone or some situation you are judging right now? Why do you feel the need to judge rather than trust?

If we just trusted that the only facts we know are that we don't have all the facts, then we'd be a lot less judgement and a lot more compassion.

So this week, try replacing judgment with compassion.

When you are feeling judgmental or think you know better than someone else, stop...acknowledge the fact that you don't know the whole situation and remind yourself that, for the most part, adults know how to manage their own lives and each life is as complex and multifaceted as your own. This will help break negative thought patterns and open your heart to more compassion.