Lord," I said, beginning my prayer, "I've been struggling with the idea of judgment."

"What's the problem?" he asked. "What did I tell you? Do not judge other people. Then you will not be judged."

"Ok, but I kind of have to judge, don't I? I mean, when I think that President Trump is going to kill us all; I'm making a judgment aren't I? When I think that the Republican tax plan is going to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor, I'm judging them, right? Am I not judging my wife when she calls Rick and Morty noisy, absurd, and juvenile and I get defensive?"

"You know those are opinions, right?"

Huh. That's a good point. When I give too much weight to my opinions, I think they are truth. And when I think my opinions are truth, the become the law. And when I make them the law, I make myself a judge.

Perhaps that's the easiest way to stop judging other people: I need to realize that my opinions are not laws.

Spend a few moments in silence. Attend to your body, your breath, and any ambient sounds. Watch them as a disinterested observer. Rather than engage them with analytical thinking (for example, by describing them, identifying their source, etc.), simply welcome them with an open heart, and let them go on their way.

You might find that you are no longer attentive to your surroundings, but consumed with a particular thought. When this happens, politely excuse yourself from the thought and return to observing yourself and your surroundings.

Close the meditation with a quick prayer of gratitude.