Life is fresh. Incredibly fresh. Every moment that happens never exists again. It’s nearly impossible to shuffle a deck of cards the same way twice. It surely is impossible for all the stars and galaxies and worlds to be the same way twice.

There is incredible power in this freshness of life. Whenever you experience something for the first time, you feel joy and fascination. When you’re connected to the freshness of each moment, that’s what your life feels like. That’s what living without judgment feels like.

Try the simple exercise of pouring yourself a glass of water. Focus your fullest attention on it. Even if you waver, keep giving it your undivided attention. If you look closely, your relationship with the pouring water has shifted, simply by paying close attention. An act that you have performed countless times before, one that has become completely automatic, suddenly feels fresh again. You can sense a newfound vibrancy in the otherwise simple act of pouring water. It feels good to give it your attention, to be there with it. That is the Beginner’s Mind.

Your judging habit keeps you from experiencing the freshness of each new moment. You lose sight of the very thing you are looking for, the joy of being who you’re designed to be. Instead, you chase after whatever direction your judgments point you into, looking for happiness that keeps eluding you.

The fewer judgments cloud your vision, the more you see situations clearly, and yourself through them. There is always one ideal solution for every situation. If you stay open and listen carefully, the situation shows you what to do next. You just have to stay out of the stories in your head and stay in the reality in front of you. What’s in front of you is always fresh.

How fresh are you?