Through our own judging of others we set ourselves up to be fearful.

This Could Be the One Thing Holding You Back from Your Greatest Potential

SherryBlue
Jul 23, 2017 · 3 min read

Fear is something that creeps in and strangles the breath out of our dreams and goals. It is something that will keep us from moving forward no matter the possibility of rewards. You might not even realize that fear is holding you back, because it can show up and camouflage itself as something else.

You have to be brave and courageous to go after lofty goals and dream big dreams. It certainly isn’t easy to be brave when you have fear nipping at your heels at every step.

According to experts there are many things that fuel our fear, but there are those that believe our fears stem from a behavior we participate in every day and that is being judgmental. Through our own judging of others we set ourselves up to be fearful. After all, if we are judging people at every turn then surely others are doing the same to us and a great underlying fear is that we will fail, that people will think we aren’t capable of succeeding, and that others will see our failure and maybe even find joy in it.

I know there are those of you reading this thinking you are free of judgement or you think you have great control over your opinion of others, but you’d be surprised at how often judgement is disguised as an observation, such as “Look at that tight dress she is wearing. I do hope she isn’t gaining weight because she’s stressed over her new job, because it’s wonderful she has achieved so much.”

The person saying that statement could convince themselves that they were being supportive and even complimentary of the woman’s achievement, but the part that rings loud and clear is the shaming. Such judgmental statements say a lot about our own insecurities or jealousies. In judging others we are putting out a clear signal that we don’t feel adequate ourselves. By pointing out another’s failures, shortcomings, fashion choices, body issues, family problems, or other things we turn a mirror upon ourselves.

When a person judges another and points out faults they are trying to bring a person down to a level that will make them feel superior or equal or at least closer in comparison.

Judging is a horrible habit. It really is a habit that we can get pulled into and not even be aware of how deeply we have fallen down the hole. The further we fall, the longer the climb before we can emerge and find success in our own lives.

Put your watch or your phone into a stop watch mode and see how long you can go before you criticize in your head a stranger you see in line at a store, a parent with their child, someone on television, someone in an magazine, or a driver on the road. Simply counting the times in a day that you feel compelled to judge someone for something can be eye opening.

If you switch judging others for empathy or acceptance you start to look past your habitual need to keep a running commentary going in your head on perceived shortcomings of others. As time moves from one day to another and you are breaking that habit more and more each day you will find you are happier, bolder, more courageous, and less inclined to let fear hold you back from progress.

The more you judge and criticize others the less successful you are going to be, period. Break the habit of judging others and you’ll become braver and bolder in your own life and much happier, too. Make it happen.

Thank you for reading — it means a lot to me. I appreciate your sharing as well. Please follow me on Medium, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn — I’d love to connect and be a part of your network team. On social media I share my own articles, but also those that I find helpful and relevant to business, success, entrepreneurship, leadership, community enhancement, and personal development. You can find out more about me at SherryHBlue.com.

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