A Closed Farm and a Smoker

1 brave thing: Talking without judging

I’m on my morning jog when I hear a car slow down behind me. I’m assuming it’s a friend slowing down to say hi or maybe just a cautious driver. Turns out to be neither. A lady I’ve never met stops her car by me, takes out her cigarette and asks me why the chicken farm up the road is closed. How funny is it that she thought a random bearded runner would be able to help. I tell her I don’t know why the farm I have no affiliation with is closed this random Wednesday morning-perplexed why she stopped to ask. Then she starts inching the car forward and says “I wish I could do what your doing,” and her car matches the puff of smoke as it speeds off.

Why it matters. A flood of judgmental thoughts came over me initially. I had to make a choice to release them all. I was able to do just that. In fact I didn’t think about that moment until writing todays brave blog. It took a conscious effort to stop from judging.

More bravery. Less judgement. That’s the goal.

-Justin