WALKING IN MY NEW PAIR OF SHOES - Part 5
An Odyssey of Changing My Mind

In the four previous posts, I have written about attitudes, beliefs, health, wealth and now I am moving into a new aspect of changing life so that I am not stressed out. Yes, we are living in stressful times for those who invite stress into their lives. I have learned through many trials and tribulations that when I use the tools I am sharing in these 5-article blog posts that knowledge is power. Knowledge and application of tools can turn the tide in any circumstance. I am not a teacher. I am only one who has used these tools and am willing to share. If you can find a better way, then I honor you.

One of my greatest challenges has been judgment. It is a daily practice. There is an old biblical quote: Do not judge another lest you be judged. I recently read a blog regarding judging another. The author of this blog article wrote that he use to have a judgment against people who have eating disorders. He writes that he now has cancer of the esophagus. One could call this a boomerang effect.

Now, I view situations and people as an observer – although once-in-awhile judgment inches in. I am learning to have compassion for others and my definition of compassion is: to have awareness of another and not judge it to be either good or bad. In this lifetime, it is part of their journey. I am also viewing others with empathy, which is the capacity of understanding another's situation, feelings and motives. As I have written previously, I have been a student of a great teacher named Ramtha for over 20 years and I have been taught how the brain works, frequencies, quantum physics, the biology of emotions and much, much more.

The above does not mean that I do not help others. I use discernment and know when to help and when not to help. I have learned the hard way that to help some people cripples them and they do not learn the lesson presented to them. I have learned to offer help only when it resonates within me. I mentally stand back and assess the situation. Help and kindness are two different actions.

Kindness to others, whether it be a smile or an act is an antidote for judgment. Perhaps you remember some years back when random acts of kindness became popular. Professor Chuck Wall in 1993 was wondering what assignment he could give his class at Bakersfield College in California. Wall had 18 students ranging in age from 18 to 65. As he was pondering this, his radio was on and he heard "…a random act of violence." He immediately changes the word 'violence' into 'kindness' and he knew he had the class assignment. Wall entered the classroom and told his students to take out pen and paper and he gave them an assignment to do one random act of kindness and write about it. They were to bring their paper to class and share. The results were phenomenal. Thus, Random Acts of Kindness began. It is now a non-profit organization. By the way, Chuck Wall is blind.

Perhaps if we applied Random Acts of Kindness daily, then we would have fewer judgments and find that our lives change in the most miraculous ways. A smile goes a long way along with a 'thank you.'

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." Henry David Thoreau