Have you ever seen a happy person who is always criticizing others? Have you ever seen a truly perceptive person who is always arguing about right and wrong? Have you ever seen a person with a rich inner life who is always denying others? Happy people are busy experiencing life; only those with an inner emptiness are obsessed with negation and blame. Happy people don’t criticize because they are busy feeling life. When the sun is shining, they enjoy the sunlight; when the food smells good, they eat happily. When friends come over, they chat genuinely. Their attention is on enjoying, not on judging.

Perceptive people don’t argue about right and wrong because they know that right and wrong are perspectives, not absolute truths. What seems right from one angle might be wrong from another. What seems wrong might be the only correct choice in someone else’s situation. People with a rich inner life don’t deny themselves because they don’t need to belittle others to elevate themselves. They have their own standards and don’t need to compare with others, so they can appreciate and accept others.

So, take a look at yourself. If you find yourself wanting to criticize others, pause and ask: am I just not happy? If recently you’ve been focusing on what’s wrong, ask yourself if you don’t need to prove yourself. If you’ve been constantly denying others, stop and ask: do I always feel I’m not good enough?