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Creative Ways to Transform Challenges: Justice Without Judgment and Tolerance Dr. Tom Massey Excerpted from The ABC’s of Successful Living and The ABC’s of Total Health (Robert D. Reed Publishers, Justice Without
Judgment Dress your love in work clothes! Remember the biblical
story of the prodigal son who had lost everything he possessed in a far
country. After becoming sick and discouraged, he returned to his father's
house, where he was welcomed with open arms. His father didn't judge or condemn
him, nor did he even ask where his son had been or what he had been doing.
Instead the father simply proclaimed, "Let us rejoice together." We all know what the
fear of rejection or punishment can produce in our lives. It can shrivel hopes
and dreams. It can close down avenues of self-expression and creativity. It can
dampen the ardor of living and reduce one to a physical or mental wreck. In
these moments we become, like the prodigal son, sick and discouraged, alone in
the far country of disillusionment. If we but knew how welcomed we would be, we
would return and rejoice in the warmth of our Father's house. Justice appears in the
world through the process of cause and effect, not by the action of a Divine Judge intent on punishing us for the mistakes we
make. We are not punished for our mistakes, but by them. Each of us must assume
responsibility for his own actions. Every thought and
every action produces consequences. You have the power to change the
consequences you are experiencing by changing your thoughts and actions. Like
the prodigal son, you've probably made some huge mistakes in the past. Don't
perpetuate those by continuing to live in the far country of poverty and
despair. Instead, return home to the embracing arms of love and forgiveness. Each moment of life is
a gift. How often we forget this and spend precious time regretting or beating
ourselves up over things we've done in the past. The only time you can do anything
about is now, and in this present moment you are free to suspend all judgment
about the past. Choose to love yourself and others unconditionally, leaving
fear and judgment behind. Application Life is an exciting
adventure in which we never know what lies beyond the turn in the road. But too
often our thoughts today are filled with regrets of yesterday. If we could but
convince ourselves that we need not carry the past with us, what a happy
outlook we would have. Today is the time to cut loose from the threads of
previous experiences, and deliberately make up your mind to live each day as
though it were complete and perfect within itself. Life is made to be lived
successfully and joyfully. Accept this and repeat daily affirmations that
reinforce it in your consciousness. Loosen the bonds of judgment by forgiving
yourself and others for everything that has happened up until now. As you
disconnect from the past and firmly root the present in love, hope, joyful
expectancy, and gratitude, you will learn to live in harmony with everything
that transpires today, and tomorrow will blossom like a new flower in the
garden of your experience. Affirmation I deliberately choose
to let go of the past and live in peace, harmony, and love in the present. Excerpted from The ABC’s of Successful Living: Getting What
You Really Want (Robert D. Reed Publishers, ©
2001 Tom Massey, Ph.D., N.D.
All rights reserved. Excerpt reprinted by permission of the author. Tolerance Live and let live An important
characteristic of emotional and spiritual maturity is the ability to accept
someone else's opinion or truth, even if it
contradicts your own, without the feeling that it threatens to invalidate what
you believe. Wars have been fought and multitudes of lives have been destroyed
throughout history because people were intolerant of others' beliefs. Tolerance
doesn't mean we have to abandon or compromise our sense of decency or universal
values of morality. It simply means that we can agree to disagree with others
without passing judgment. Remember the words of
Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: "Don't judge, or you will be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. And why worry
about a speck in the eye of a brother when you have a board in your own? Should
you say, `Friend, let me help you get that speck out of your eye,' when you
can't even see because of the board in your own?" You don't have to change
people. It's not your job. A wise man once told me, "Man doesn't have to do
the job that the Spirit will handle." Tolerance is for your benefit! Activity Intolerance and an
inflexible attitude will eat away at your personal health. Release those
feelings today. Make a list of all the people and the situations in your life
that you find intolerable. When you're finished, fold up the sheet of paper and
set it afire, allowing the ashes to blow away in the wind, if possible. As they
do, visualize your feelings of intolerance and judgment blowing away at this
moment with the ashes. This is a definitive moment in your life. When those
feelings pop back up, remind yourself of this moment
in time when you released them and set yourself free from intolerance. Affirmation I am experiencing
better health because of the freedom I attain through accepting others. Excerpted from The ABC’s of Total Health: Practical Tips
for Abundant Living (Robert D. Reed
Publishers, ©
2000 Tom Massey, Ph.D., N.D.
All rights reserved. Excerpt reprinted by permission of the author. Dr. Tom Massey is the
creator of the Gotta Minute? Series and the author of
The ABC’s of Effective Leadership: Managing from the Heart as well as the two
books excerpted here. He is a performance coach, seminar leader and
motivational speaker with over 20 years experience working with business
leaders and some of the world’s top athletes. Living in
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