Reverence for Ourselves

Every day, my husband and I read a section on the Spirituality & Practice site (https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/) and discuss its implications or how we relate to it through our experiences. We've had many great conversations in the last months. The time we spent together, connecting as deeply as we do, has been something I cherish. I am so grateful that we figured out this was needed to amp up our relationship.

Today's lesson was about appreciating ourselves. An article by Tara Brach recommends that we see ourselves through other people's eyes. Doing so forces us to see why our family and friends (even our pets!) love us which can help us remember what makes us so unique. Another article written by Brenda Shoshanna tells us that, by focusing on what is honorable about ourselves, we can increase our sense of self-worth.

But the article that struck me the hardest was "Finding Peace by Speaking Less" by Joseph Goldstein. He challenged himself to not speak to someone about someone else - negatively or positively - for three months. What he discovered was that he became less judgmental about other people and, even, judged himself less. He, also, noticed that he spoke less which led to peaceful periods.

I am guilty of being judgmental. While I hate speaking ill of someone, I often find myself complaining to my friends and family if someone is small-minded and acts selfishly. I think that he/she can't possibly be informed enough to consider all angles without relating to what he/she is going through. Even with the people I love, I normally don't applaud their actions (and the fact that they actually step up to act!) without thinking of what I would do instead. Honestly, I am trying to be less critical but I could still improve. Plus not everyone wants to hear what I think. That, alone, would make for a effort towards peace!