This, of course, is going to be extremely difficult. I've been conditioned my entire life to make judgments, to see things as good or bad, pretty or ugly, interesting or boring. I have to ask myself quite honestly: Is it even possible for me to be simply an observer, withholding judgment? I simply don't know. But I do know that it is worth trying, and it is worth the effort to practice doing so.
If I simply observe, I think that I can be much more helpful to other people, and I think that I can enrich my life by noticing even more things than I ever would when I judge. I believe that withholding judgment can help me to be more impartial and to be more open to other people's thoughts and ideas. It can help me to learn things that I never would learn because my judgment tends to filter out those things that I deem "unworthy" of my attention.
I'm pretty sure that I won't be 100% successful, but for today, I'd settle even for 50% and consider it a significant achievement. And if I do reach 50%, then tomorrow I may be able to reach 51. The world went along just fine for many thousands of years before I came along and started judging it, and it has several billion other people who are judging it every day--it truly doesn't need my judgment in order to keep on keeping on. And my life doesn't need more judgment to be fulfilling and rich. In fact, it probably will be more fulfilling and rich when I judge less, so let's see how it goes today!
Mindfulness
means
paying attention
in a particular way;
on purpose,
in the present moment,
and nonjudgmentally.
Jon
Kabat-Zinn
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