In all the years that I train and consult, and they are many, that which rewards me the most, is the trust that people show in me. It rewards me and it scares me equally. The moment I sense that pure, open, vulnerable feeling in my interlocutor’s eyes, my heart skips a bit, out of fear and joy simultaneously. Fear for me, as the responsibility that is silently given to me at that moment is enormous, and joy for them, as it seems to be a great relief to be able to open up, to be themselves and to NOT be judged.
Often enough I am told, ” thank you for not judging”, “thank you for listening” and my answer is always the same ” who am I to judge?” and I mean it. Who am I to judge? I have made every single mistake that I once swore that I would never make, in all the roles life has assigned to me. Some of those mistakes were able to teach me and some I had to repeat a few times before I got the message. So, who am I to judge.
What have I learned:
Every time you point a finger, focus on the three fingers pointing at you. If you still have time, energy and reason to judge others please be my guest.
Feelings belong to the beholder. No-one can judge how someone feels. You can only aim to help in understanding why these feelings exist.
Where I am today, you may be tomorrow. So listen, you might get a preview.
Accept, respect, listen and learn. Do not judge.
I know now, more than ever, that I know nothing.
I know now, more than ever, that people and myself will never cease to amaze me.