Several years ago during a gathering, Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, stood and held up a large white sheet. He asked what we saw. In the middle of the sheet he had made a small black dot. Almost everyone of us said "I see a black spot." 

I will never forget the lesson, as it slowly sank in during the silence that followed... the black spot was an incalculably small portion of that sheet. And yet all of us had focused on it, and not seen the totality of the sheet.

How many times in our lives do we focus on a small defect or imperfection, and miss the big picture? 

How many relationships have we ruined by seeing only the small problems or flaws, and forgetting our gratitude for the relationship itself?

How many opportunities have we rejected because we saw a small difficulty involved, and focused our attention there until it became the only thing in our vision?

Judgement is fear. Gratitude is love. We do have a choice.

To focus on our judgement of the small imperfections is to miss the grand perfection of everything that IS. To recognize that grand perfection is to be in awe, in peace, and in gratitude. 

How can we be happy, with peace and and love in our hearts, if we are focused on and judging all the little black spots in our lives?

Well, we cannot.

The best gift we give ourselves is to do for others, and to let go of the fear.