There is a theory in today's society that every individual should be accepted for who they are; that all individuals deserve our love and respect, regardless of their actions. That we have the right to form an "opinion," however, we should not "judge." There is a fine line between "opinion" and "judgment" and we cannot make a judgment without first forming an opinion. They both go hand in hand... we cannot have one without the other.

It is impossible to live in our 3-D world without judging the situations we find ourselves in. These situations assist us in defining who we are and what we are willing to stand for. Until our world has reached a point of 100% agreement, it will continue to be this way. Everyday, we are forced to decide something about/for ourselves. No matter what happens to us on our journey, we will form an opinion on it and that opinion will lead to a judgment of some kind.

So, are all judments negative in nature? Absolutely not! We are programmed to believe the word "judgment" is negative behavior, however, it is alright for us to have an "opinion." Sorry folks, they are one and the same.

Opinion is defined as, "A belief not based on absolute certainty or positive knowledge, but on what seems true, valid or probable to one's own mind; judgment."

Judgment is defined as, "Deciding, an opinion or estimate, criticism or censure. The ability to come to opinions about things."

As human beings, we form an opinion and we judge. It is what we do and how we define ourselves. Politically correct terms (sugar coating) only goes so far. Humanity's evolution will be the deciding factor as to when we can all live in peace.

Life comes with lessons. It is part of the plan. Every soul comes to Earth knowing what their personality traits are going to be. We also know we will be on the receiving and the giving end of the lessons we will endure. No one is immune. In one situation, we will receive the lesson, so be open to it and learn from it. Do not be afraid to look in the mirror. In another situation, we will be the giver of the lesson and it will be the other individuals responsibility to accept the lesson and learn from it. When we are the receiver, it is our responsibility to learn something about ourself. When we are the giver, the responsibility lies with someone else. Learning the difference between the two will make life easier to understand and cope with.

There is no Universal law that says we have to accept the personality traits, opinions or beliefs of another individual. But if we take a step back and accept our emotional reaction(s), we can accept the situation for what it is. There is no reason to blame, point fingers or argue that you are right and they are wrong. People are who they are and their personal growth and maturity is their responsibility.

So, if we accept someone on a soul level, do we have to accept the person they have chose to become? I do not believe you do. Maybe the reason we have crossed paths with this individual is for them to assist us in defining who we are. We do not have to accept their actions, but we can learn from them and decide (form an opinion) on what is right for us. We have to decide what role that individual or situation plays in our life. Why did it happen? What can we learn from it? Not every individual is destined to stay in our lives. When it is time to move on, do not be afraid to do so. But take the LESSON with you, not the anger, resentment and regret that may try to follow.

No one is perfect. We all have a shadow side and it is the shadow areas that we learn our most important lessons from if we are willing to open our eyes and see them. The soul is timeless and all-knowing, but only to the level of our growth. Yes, even souls have limits and levels of achievement and our personalities can reflect that. We come here knowing what we need to work on. What areas of personal and soul growth will be needed. Sometimes we achieve those goals, sometimes we do not. And sometimes....we simply have to stop and breathe for awhile.

Someone once told me, "Life will only be difficult if you allow it to be." While that may look good on paper, it is not always easy to apply in our everyday lives. Sometimes things occur in life that we have no control over. All we can do is look for the lesson (and yes, there will always be one) and decide what our emotional reaction(s) is going to be. The soul knows, so listen to it, learn the lesson and adjust your personality accordingly.

Opinions/judgments do not have to build walls that segregate humanity. We choose to do that. We do not have to agree 100% of the time, but we also do not have to fight and argue over whose opinion is superior. We need to simply allow life's lessons to define our role. These lessons will always come in the form of a situation or person in your life. We do not have to like it, but it is our responsibilty to learn and grow from it.  

Copyright © 2006 Angel Shadow
My ancestry is Irish and Cherokee Indian and I have a gypsy spirit that refuses to be fenced in. I am definitely not a conformist. Much of my life was spent under the control of others. My childhood was full of abuse and neglect, which lead me to my volunteer abuse work. It also lead to anxiety and panic attacks, which I suffered from for years, so I'm dedicated to helping others in that area as well. I have now found my own personal freedom, based on my own personal truth and nothing could be more liberating. Find out more at Writing.com and MySpace.com.

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