Imaging right now a scenario where a family member, friend or coworker makes a decision that you do not agree with. This should be fairly easy considering what has happened over the last two years. Got your example? Good.

As you read these words did your example come without thought or hesitation? What did you feel as you thought of your situation and the decision that this other person made which you disagree with?

Do you feel anger?

Do you feel sad?

Do you feel disappointed or frustrated?

Do you feel surprised and kind of like you don’t know who they really are because you can’t believe they are doing this?

Now let me ask you this….HOW does this person’s decision directly affect or impact your life?

Does it change the time of day you wake up?

Does it impact your job?

Does it affect your drive to work or daily habits?

Does it change ANYTHING about you personally?

You may have answered a YES to a few of or all of the first set of questions. And I’m willing to bet you answered NO to all of the bottom questions. So here’s the thing. THEIR DECISION IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Yeah, yeah I get it that you are friends. OR that it’s your sibling. OR that you have worked with this person for so many years. But it’s none of your business. Unless something directly impacts or affects you your opinion doesn’t matter concerning someone else’s decision. EVEN IF they ask you. EVEN IF they spend hours and hours talking with you.

This is a difficult concept to grasp or rather separate ourselves from. Because what we really are doing is getting emotionally attached to another person’s story and we now feel like we are involved in it too. While our life paths may cross or even run together for years, they are still TWO separate lives. You cannot claim to know what’s best for another person. And the most difficult thing about this is that even if you did know best, they still need to make their own decision so they can have their own learning experiences out of life. There has to be ups and downs, mistakes and successes.

As we navigate this thing called life make sure you take a good long hard look in the mirror and reflect upon the things that you are doing, could be doing, should be doing, shouldn’t be doing and ask yourself if your really in a position to judge your friend, family member or coworker with anything other than love, kindness and acceptance.

Before you take the speck out of someone else’s eye, take the log out of your own