In a society obsessed in keeping up with the Jones’, this month is the perfect opportunity to reflect on all of the great things we’re thankful for and take the time to make a simple promise to yourself: empower those around you and leave the judgement behind.
It’s so easy sometimes to get wrapped up in the drama that surrounds our lives. It’s on Facebook, it’s at the gym, it’s even at family gatherings. The hard part, though, is stepping back from the gossip and using that moment to teach those participating how impactful judgement can be.
My husband and I were featured on House Hunters back in 2012 when we moved back to Detroit from Chicago. The filming experience was pretty neat and we enjoyed getting to learn a little more about how “reality TV” works. Once our episode aired, we quickly learned how easily it is for people to judge you based on nothing more than a quick 20 minute glimpse into your home-buying experience. We made the mistake (and still do whenever the episode reairs) of following along with #HouseHunters on Twitter to see what people had to say.
“#HouseHunters She doesn’t want dark countertops/stainless because they need to be cleaned? WTF?
Newsflash: houses need 2b cleaned, SLOB!”
Even if you’re not a fan of the Kardashians, you have to admit that receiving millions of Tweets (much worse than that) on a daily basis is unkind and unnecessary. Online judgement (AKA cyber bullying) has even garnered the attention of Jimmy Kimmel so much that he has an ongoing segment called Mean Tweets where celebrities have to read statements sent to them from people online. While some of the Tweets are so ridiculous they’re comical, our children – unfortunately – aren’t as emotionally stable as some celebrities today. It’s important that we share with them the importance of being kind to others and that anything less than that won’t be tolerated.
The most important thing I’ve learned when it comes to trying to live positively, is to surround myself with an empowering community of people with the same values. Does this mean that I’m always on my best behavior? No, we all make mistakes but acknowledging those pitfalls and striving to be a better person each day is really what life is all about.
Hopefully our kids will see that there’s no place for judgement in the world today and it all starts with us. We need to set the example for which our children should follow. After all, if we don’t teach them now, who will?
