What does it mean to judge rather than discern and why might this be worth thinking about.
We all judge things, we judge others, we judge circumstances and most of all we judge ourselves.
In the coaching world we give our judge names like gremlins, chimps or parrots; the voice in our head that comments, make assumptions and generally interprets for us unless we consciously choose to ignore it and listen instead to the discerning sage we all also have. And there are many names in the coaching world for the discerning sage too!
As we head into difficult and uncharted waters noticing which voice we are using and listening to, matters, as it is this that gives us our emotional responses that feed our actions. The judge limits and governs our actions through all our (natural) negative emotions.
If we want to show up as our best selves how can we sharpen the way we see the world, ourselves and others. Are you allowing judgement or discernment? Fear or love?
The old story of the two wolves speaks to good and evil. I am asking how we even discern this.
An old Man is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves
. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Man simply replied, “The one you feed.”
What emotions are arising in you at this moment because of judgement? and how would you feel if you used discernment?
I am finding the Positive Intelligence process a great tool to awaken my discerning sage that encourages rather than limits and gives rise to more positive emotions whatever the circumstances.