Our planet
and all sentient beings who dwell here
are in desperate need of compassion . . .
the air that we breathe is poisoned
from the chemicals our furnaces, factories, and industrial plants emit into the sky.
Our soil is laced with toxins we thoughtlessly bury there,
our world is peppered with landfills and dumps,
and what doesn’t end up there
is sent on barges to be thrown overboard in our oceans and rivers.
Our long ago ancestors
honored the earth and the creatures who lived under her protection,
and when we came upon the scene we despoiled and raped her.
Not to mention
what has become of our humanity.
I have read my history,
and know about atrocities in the past,
but we are supposed to evolving beings,
becoming enlightened through the centuries,
and as far as I can tell,
we are no more civilized than we were when Genghis Khan did his thing.
We are still killing and subjugating each other,
all in the name of power and greed.
Our people need compassion,
grace,
and healing.
What madness is this?
Are we not all brothers and sisters?
The cruelty running rampant in our world
is so immoral
I can hardly accept that it is happening . . .
are those of us who ‘imagine’
just hopeless and naive dreamers?
With sorrow and despair
I pray,
with every ounce of my being
that we will somehow wake up . . .
save the world
and save our souls
with love. ♥
My 95 year old neighbor lives alone and fell. I just happened to be visiting when it occurred. It took us 20 min. to get her up-she did not want to call 911.
So she needs some extra TLC, just checking in on her and spending time to ensure no issues. People presence is what she craves.
I brought over 3 nights worth of turkey pot pie too so she doesn’t need to cook.
When i needed compassion today and asked for some help, there was a dear friend kindly offering it, causing some immediate relief, and gratefulness was felt and expressed naturally. When this friend would need some compassion, me and others would offer it at an instant and with all our heart through words and deeds. We all do so, I am sure, when the heart speaks of brotherhood and sisterhood of mankind, which we do cultivate here for example also. When you might experience grief, which mght make you feel deeply sad, it might not be felt as such by another person. So to step in someone else´s shoes and do a few steps might alter the perception already. It helps me to really dive deep into someone´s pain through listening deeply for example when accompanying someone in grief, which usually, if it was allowed, is reciprocated somewhere, increasing the warmth, peace and loveing kindness among each other. I show it through words and deeds, thoughts, prayer, mindfulness, sometimes through a call, through a card, or for example through an Advent calendar given to my 96 year old father, of which i then realized that most probably, he had never received such a gift. When WW II ended, he was 16 years old, and before, there was no chance to receive such a sweet gift and afterwards, even worse. At least it felt as such to me when I saw the joy and some disbelief that his gift of a child´s longing would be for him, filled with most delicious chocolate behind each little door. All such small gifts are manifold. Gestures in friendship and love.
My friend Karen’s Mom passed away tues night, 2 mos ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and declined treatment. I will be there for her to support her during this difficult time even though she doesn’t live close by
I feel we ALL are in need of compassion in a less and less ‘human’ world and I will start on myself. I will give myself the compassion that I expect from others, and just ‘let them’ get on with it when they are being cold and frosty – in the hope it inspires others too… It feels so very lonely right now 💜💜💜
Found this site by pure chance and I’m glad I did… So much crap outweighing any potential good and especially while I navigate the grieving process with the death of my father.
I wish all of you, the very same kindness, respect and compassion that the world seems to be lacking right now.
Namaste 🙏
I love you. 💜💜💜
Welcome Gemma. I am new here too and found instant friends here. These people are good kind souls and its sometimes easy to forget that there are genuine loving people on the planet. They can be hard to spot but we have them contained right here!!! I am so sorry for your loneliness. I understand that feeling well. Even in a crowded room, this emptiness can excavate our heart. Please know that although I may travel a different path, I am walking with you and please remember my presence beside you when grief visits.
Gemma, I also found this sight by chance about ten years ago and it has been a wonderful place for reflection and growth for me ever since. I am so glad you happened upon this site today, and I hope you will continue coming here and sharing your thoughts and feelings or just taking in what you like according to what is most comfortable for you.
I’m so sorry to hear that you have lost your father. I’m also so sorry to hear you are feeling alone. The world is feeling harsh these days. I do think you will find everyone here to be warm and kind. I am looking forward to hearing from you again, Gemma. There is a daily question and other areas on this site for you to explore. I hope to hear from you again tomorrow, or very soon. Sending love and warmth to you Gemma. Mary
I too,
am happy you have found this place,
dear Gemma . . .
it is where I come to restore my spirit
and nourish my soul,
as much as it is a place to reach out
to others in pain or sorrow.
I hold you tenderly in my heart
as you grieve the death of your father
and pray that you feel held in the heart of the Universe
with love . . . ♥
Namaste
Thank you, Dear SPARROW.
It’s only made so much harder by those I need the most.
I need to look out for myself for a change, I’m the worst for this sometimes!
Thanks for taking the time from your day to spare a thought.
I appreciate you 💜🙏🥰
The Grateful Living Tech guys deserve my compassion right now. I can thank them for fixing the tech glitches after having troubles logging in to comment on other participants. These glitches have been happening more often in different forms over the last few weeks.
I think of certain family members. As much as I care for them, they also contribute to my stress and anxiety. I am feeling anger towards them but I recognize that taking it out on them isn’t the solution. I must bite my tongue, but my tongue is starting to become strain because of how often I am biting it. I wish I knew what to do with this tension I am feeling.
I have no instant solutions,
dear Gemma,
but slow mindful breaths in
and out
has helped me in a pinch.
In the long term,
practicing mindfulness,
and reminding yourself,
that although it might not be apparent in the moment,
it’s not personal.
And don’t take on their anger.
I will keep you in my thoughts . . . ♥
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope you can find some common ground.
I’m in a similar position, but I’m being silent treatment punished for daring to trigger anyone. I’ll keep biting my tongue, until I don’t!
Remember, it’s temporary and you can only change yourself – not anyone else.
Much love 💜💜💜
Thinking of you, and sending very best wishes, that you find ways to manage the tension you are feeling. Also to find ways to continue to manage your words wisely, which it sounds like you are doing. Not easy!
I was in a lengthy, intense situation with close family members this year. I did poorly with holding my tongue, and now live with the consequences of my words and behaviours.
We all need compassion now.
Mother Earth & All that inhabit this big wide beautiful world need love, kindness & compassion.
Let it begin with Me. ✨🙏🏻♥️
🕊️♥️
Maybe my Mom. I was feeling really overwhelmed and have backed off from her a bit. The boundary setting has been great and quite a relief to me. I see Mom twice a week now instead of three times a week. (My husband visits to play Bingo with her two or three times a week). But I think Mom feels like I am neglecting her a bit. It doesn’t feel that way to me. When I’m with her I help her with hygiene, clean and paint her fingernails, ready her clothes for laundering (take tissues out of her pockets and turn garments inside out to prevent further color fading, wash and refill her water bottles, pick up and straighten her room, and of course chit chat throughout the time I’m there. So that takes a good two hours. I think I need to spend another half hour or so having a cup of tea with her and just having conversation. I think that is the compassionate part that is missing. I will try to include tea time into my visits, but want to keep the visit to two and a half hours and not longer than three hours. I’ll have to skip tea time on doctor visit days though, such as today. Thanks for today’s question. It helped me to clarify in my mind what I am trying to do.
Sending peace to all.
Thank you for sharing this, Mary. I have boundary issues with my mom, and while the situation is quite different, I appreciate your vulnerability here. It’s helpful for me, and I am sending love and strength to you 💜
I think you are right about the compassion part of the equation,
dear Mary.
You do wonderful things to keep your mother’s life tidy and neat,
but my guess is
she would enjoy tea time with you
even more . . .
just remember to take care of yourself as well
with love . . . ♥
Dear Sparrow, tidy and neat don’t begin to cover it, my Mom has a lot of needs. And taking care of her fingernails is very important to her. But, I do believe that Mom and I are both missing out when I don’t make time for a ritual such as tea and conversation. I will make that a priority. ♥️
You are doing so much for your Mom, dear Mary. I hope that you are taking good care of yourself as well, as you are giving so much, so generously, to your Mom.
I am taking better care of myself than I have been for quite a while. That’s why I cut my visits back from three times a week to two. It was getting to be too much. So I started taking care of myself. I’m resting, pushing myself to get out socially and do things that I enjoy, and I’m quieting my inner critic. Thanks so much for thinking about me, KC. ♥️♥️♥️
You sound like a wonderful daughter and thats a lot of work!!! The tea time sounds good for you both. I can just imagine you sitting down and your mind and body saying “aah, that’s nice ” and your mom feeling special and heard. ❤️
The Epstein survivors, the 12-steppers, the domestic violence victims, the foster children, the Ukrainians, the families living in the Gaza strip, the immigrants without due-process, those unjustly in prison, etc., etc. It’s overwhelming. I try to stay informed. I write to my congressional representatives; I do my best to be open and kind to everyone; I wish to be an instrument of peace. I met a woman yesterday whose 25 year old son has a condition that robs him of an immune system and he is never well. There is no cure and doctors have told him he lives at death’s door. His mother says, “She clings to hope and it aggravates him.” How does a mother not cling to hope? What would acceptance look like? Would telling him each day that she is grateful to be sharing it with him help? Would that express and model acceptance for him? I’ve come to believe that compassion is not to feel sorrow for another but to walk with and truly BE with them. The St. Teresa Prayer song comes to mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SQtXzjC2pg&list=RD2SQtXzjC2pg&start_radio=1
I too,
become both overwhelmed and outraged
at the horrors that are happening all over the world,
dear Carol Ann,
and I am very much in tune with what you wrote about sorrow and compassion.
Compassion is a much deeper breed of Bird
and it comes from the most tender part of the heart. ♥
This reflection caused me to consider what compassion really means : Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related.
(https://greatergood.berkeley.edu)
Although I can not always relieve suffering, I can still feel motivated to do so. I can relieve suffering of which I am fully or partially responsible. For me this is why I do not eat meat and avoid dairy as best I can. This way I can avoid being/feeling responsible for the suffering of these creatures. This is not always a well received bit of personal information. Those who do eat meat and dairy can often attack me but I feel safe to share this here. My husband is an omnivore and gratefully he makes no judgements about this (aloud?LOL)
On a personal level :
my estranged son can benefit from my compassion as I stay quietly ready with an open and forgiving heart.
My husband who suffers from impatience, perfectionism and struggles with emotional regulation can benefit from patience bestowed onto him.
I also deserve my self compassion with the grief and hurt feelings around these 2 important people.
In small ways I can also practice compassion for others in traffic by being patient and courteous. For the elderly, ill and handicapped by offering help when they struggle.
I can show compassion by being considerate of others and less selfish in my my actions and thoughts. For example by giving my seat to another or standing to the side when in conversation rather than blocking an aisle way or sidewalk. Many many small courteous acts come to mind.
I can never know what suffering lies secret in the lives of anyone I meet or observe, so staying kind, courteous and grateful is a small way I can show my compassion to the hidden suffering potentially surrounding me.
Thank you for allowing me space and witness to put these ideas to words which helps solidify them into my mind.
Thank you,
dear Heather,
for your heartfelt and beautiful words
expressed here.
Everyone has some secret pain
and living compassionately
the only answer. ♥
Everyone needs compassion. It’s not really optional.
I can show it by listening with intention, reaching out, and if appropriate, sharing my story with honesty and compassion.
I think,
dear Charlie,
that compassion is like a balm
to the souls of both the giver
and the receiver.
You are so right . . .
everyone needs it . . .
everyone. ♥
The earth and all its people. On the site called Art and Theology they have a picture of a lady holding soil as if it was a little child. It is very moving.
A friend who is in a mental health crisis.
People in a mental health crisis certainly deserve compassion. Too many people get stuck in thinking they are just being negative, and do not realize the severity of their pain. Thank you, Yram, for mentioning your friend.
Mary, Unfortunately, there’s a lot of stigma surrounding that, especially where I come from which is the case for many Traditional Collective Asian cultures. People with mental health are often alone and misunderstood. I have been one of them to a varying degree, so I know the song and dance all too well. It’s why I’ve been outspoken before, because I always have the belief that my voice can make a difference, and I know who I am and what I represent. The topic being brought up at the dinner table is frowned upon in these cultures, because there’s supersticion where if we bring that up, we bring bad luck to the family. Only achievements and the positives can only be brought up.
The OGs jump out to me. America places a strong emphasis on youth. With productivity being the core value, it goes together with that. The “Out with the old, in with the new” saying says it all.
Crystalize intelligence increases making us wiser as we age. Fluid intelligence decreases making it harder to adapt to new circumstances. We also become lonelier. In fact, that process may very well have already started since Jr. high.
I, myself, have many mannerisms of older people such as: honesty, start and end with heart, calm, and prefer books over ipads which says a lot on our stance on technology.
Drea, the part about younger people prefering handbooks over ybooks caught me by surprise. In my circle of family and close friends, it’s just my uncle-in-law, Mark, who prefers handbooks outside of myself. My buddy, who I’ve talked about before, Sean Coughlin, is the outliar.
Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.
Our planet
and all sentient beings who dwell here
are in desperate need of compassion . . .
the air that we breathe is poisoned
from the chemicals our furnaces, factories, and industrial plants emit into the sky.
Our soil is laced with toxins we thoughtlessly bury there,
our world is peppered with landfills and dumps,
and what doesn’t end up there
is sent on barges to be thrown overboard in our oceans and rivers.
Our long ago ancestors
honored the earth and the creatures who lived under her protection,
and when we came upon the scene we despoiled and raped her.
Not to mention
what has become of our humanity.
I have read my history,
and know about atrocities in the past,
but we are supposed to evolving beings,
becoming enlightened through the centuries,
and as far as I can tell,
we are no more civilized than we were when Genghis Khan did his thing.
We are still killing and subjugating each other,
all in the name of power and greed.
Our people need compassion,
grace,
and healing.
What madness is this?
Are we not all brothers and sisters?
The cruelty running rampant in our world
is so immoral
I can hardly accept that it is happening . . .
are those of us who ‘imagine’
just hopeless and naive dreamers?
With sorrow and despair
I pray,
with every ounce of my being
that we will somehow wake up . . .
save the world
and save our souls
with love. ♥
I share your feelings on this, Sparrow.
I have had to keep some distance from all of it,
because it was affecting me so deeply.
Sending love ♥️
My 95 year old neighbor lives alone and fell. I just happened to be visiting when it occurred. It took us 20 min. to get her up-she did not want to call 911.
So she needs some extra TLC, just checking in on her and spending time to ensure no issues. People presence is what she craves.
I brought over 3 nights worth of turkey pot pie too so she doesn’t need to cook.
Such kindness, Cathy. ♥️♥️♥️
You are a kind considerate neighbor to such a fragile human. ❤️
I’m so glad you were with her when she fell. I hope she’s okay.
When i needed compassion today and asked for some help, there was a dear friend kindly offering it, causing some immediate relief, and gratefulness was felt and expressed naturally. When this friend would need some compassion, me and others would offer it at an instant and with all our heart through words and deeds. We all do so, I am sure, when the heart speaks of brotherhood and sisterhood of mankind, which we do cultivate here for example also. When you might experience grief, which mght make you feel deeply sad, it might not be felt as such by another person. So to step in someone else´s shoes and do a few steps might alter the perception already. It helps me to really dive deep into someone´s pain through listening deeply for example when accompanying someone in grief, which usually, if it was allowed, is reciprocated somewhere, increasing the warmth, peace and loveing kindness among each other. I show it through words and deeds, thoughts, prayer, mindfulness, sometimes through a call, through a card, or for example through an Advent calendar given to my 96 year old father, of which i then realized that most probably, he had never received such a gift. When WW II ended, he was 16 years old, and before, there was no chance to receive such a sweet gift and afterwards, even worse. At least it felt as such to me when I saw the joy and some disbelief that his gift of a child´s longing would be for him, filled with most delicious chocolate behind each little door. All such small gifts are manifold. Gestures in friendship and love.
💗
What a wonderful, heartfelt story about your fathers joy, dear Ose. Thank you.
My friend Karen’s Mom passed away tues night, 2 mos ago she was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and declined treatment. I will be there for her to support her during this difficult time even though she doesn’t live close by
My sympathies to you on the loss of your friend’s Mom.
Sending love and prayers to Karen and to you as you support your friend 🙏🏼
I feel we ALL are in need of compassion in a less and less ‘human’ world and I will start on myself. I will give myself the compassion that I expect from others, and just ‘let them’ get on with it when they are being cold and frosty – in the hope it inspires others too… It feels so very lonely right now 💜💜💜
Found this site by pure chance and I’m glad I did… So much crap outweighing any potential good and especially while I navigate the grieving process with the death of my father.
I wish all of you, the very same kindness, respect and compassion that the world seems to be lacking right now.
Namaste 🙏
I love you. 💜💜💜
Welcome Gemma. I am new here too and found instant friends here. These people are good kind souls and its sometimes easy to forget that there are genuine loving people on the planet. They can be hard to spot but we have them contained right here!!! I am so sorry for your loneliness. I understand that feeling well. Even in a crowded room, this emptiness can excavate our heart. Please know that although I may travel a different path, I am walking with you and please remember my presence beside you when grief visits.
Welcome Gemma – this is a great group of people. Deepest condolences to you on the loss of your father.
I’m glad you found this space, Gemma. Welcome. And condolences to you on the loss of your father.
Namaste ✨
Gemma, I also found this sight by chance about ten years ago and it has been a wonderful place for reflection and growth for me ever since. I am so glad you happened upon this site today, and I hope you will continue coming here and sharing your thoughts and feelings or just taking in what you like according to what is most comfortable for you.
I’m so sorry to hear that you have lost your father. I’m also so sorry to hear you are feeling alone. The world is feeling harsh these days. I do think you will find everyone here to be warm and kind. I am looking forward to hearing from you again, Gemma. There is a daily question and other areas on this site for you to explore. I hope to hear from you again tomorrow, or very soon. Sending love and warmth to you Gemma. Mary
The divine in me bows to the divine in you.
Welcome Gemma. I am so sorry for your loss 🙏
I too,
am happy you have found this place,
dear Gemma . . .
it is where I come to restore my spirit
and nourish my soul,
as much as it is a place to reach out
to others in pain or sorrow.
I hold you tenderly in my heart
as you grieve the death of your father
and pray that you feel held in the heart of the Universe
with love . . . ♥
Namaste
Thank you, Dear SPARROW.
It’s only made so much harder by those I need the most.
I need to look out for myself for a change, I’m the worst for this sometimes!
Thanks for taking the time from your day to spare a thought.
I appreciate you 💜🙏🥰
The Grateful Living Tech guys deserve my compassion right now. I can thank them for fixing the tech glitches after having troubles logging in to comment on other participants. These glitches have been happening more often in different forms over the last few weeks.
I too,
am thankful for the Grateful Living Tech team,
dear Loc.
Looking after us
can feel like a thankless job. ♥
I think of certain family members. As much as I care for them, they also contribute to my stress and anxiety. I am feeling anger towards them but I recognize that taking it out on them isn’t the solution. I must bite my tongue, but my tongue is starting to become strain because of how often I am biting it. I wish I knew what to do with this tension I am feeling.
Jenifer, two sayings I heard, have helped me hold my tongue and release my judgement with difficult familial relations,
Monkey’s eat bananas, Monkey’s will always eat bananas & Not my pasture, not my bullsh_t.
I have no instant solutions,
dear Gemma,
but slow mindful breaths in
and out
has helped me in a pinch.
In the long term,
practicing mindfulness,
and reminding yourself,
that although it might not be apparent in the moment,
it’s not personal.
And don’t take on their anger.
I will keep you in my thoughts . . . ♥
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I hope you can find some common ground.
I’m in a similar position, but I’m being silent treatment punished for daring to trigger anyone. I’ll keep biting my tongue, until I don’t!
Remember, it’s temporary and you can only change yourself – not anyone else.
Much love 💜💜💜
Jenifer,
Thinking of you, and sending very best wishes, that you find ways to manage the tension you are feeling. Also to find ways to continue to manage your words wisely, which it sounds like you are doing. Not easy!
I was in a lengthy, intense situation with close family members this year. I did poorly with holding my tongue, and now live with the consequences of my words and behaviours.
Wishing you the very best.
Does any of this have to do with boundaries? I’m having to learn about healthy boundaries with family these days.
We all need compassion now.
Mother Earth & All that inhabit this big wide beautiful world need love, kindness & compassion.
Let it begin with Me. ✨🙏🏻♥️
🕊️♥️
You are right,
dear PKR . . .
we all need compassion and kindness,
now,
more than ever.
Thank you
for bringing your wisdom and strength here. ♥
Maybe my Mom. I was feeling really overwhelmed and have backed off from her a bit. The boundary setting has been great and quite a relief to me. I see Mom twice a week now instead of three times a week. (My husband visits to play Bingo with her two or three times a week). But I think Mom feels like I am neglecting her a bit. It doesn’t feel that way to me. When I’m with her I help her with hygiene, clean and paint her fingernails, ready her clothes for laundering (take tissues out of her pockets and turn garments inside out to prevent further color fading, wash and refill her water bottles, pick up and straighten her room, and of course chit chat throughout the time I’m there. So that takes a good two hours. I think I need to spend another half hour or so having a cup of tea with her and just having conversation. I think that is the compassionate part that is missing. I will try to include tea time into my visits, but want to keep the visit to two and a half hours and not longer than three hours. I’ll have to skip tea time on doctor visit days though, such as today. Thanks for today’s question. It helped me to clarify in my mind what I am trying to do.
Sending peace to all.
Thank you for sharing this, Mary. I have boundary issues with my mom, and while the situation is quite different, I appreciate your vulnerability here. It’s helpful for me, and I am sending love and strength to you 💜
Thank you, SunnyPatti. ☀️🌻
I think you are right about the compassion part of the equation,
dear Mary.
You do wonderful things to keep your mother’s life tidy and neat,
but my guess is
she would enjoy tea time with you
even more . . .
just remember to take care of yourself as well
with love . . . ♥
Dear Sparrow, tidy and neat don’t begin to cover it, my Mom has a lot of needs. And taking care of her fingernails is very important to her. But, I do believe that Mom and I are both missing out when I don’t make time for a ritual such as tea and conversation. I will make that a priority. ♥️
You are doing so much for your Mom, dear Mary. I hope that you are taking good care of yourself as well, as you are giving so much, so generously, to your Mom.
I am taking better care of myself than I have been for quite a while. That’s why I cut my visits back from three times a week to two. It was getting to be too much. So I started taking care of myself. I’m resting, pushing myself to get out socially and do things that I enjoy, and I’m quieting my inner critic. Thanks so much for thinking about me, KC. ♥️♥️♥️
You sound like a wonderful daughter and thats a lot of work!!! The tea time sounds good for you both. I can just imagine you sitting down and your mind and body saying “aah, that’s nice ” and your mom feeling special and heard. ❤️
Yes, thank you, HeatherHoney.
Good luck with your mom, Mary. It sounds like you are being very thoughtful about the process.
Thank you Drea.
The Epstein survivors, the 12-steppers, the domestic violence victims, the foster children, the Ukrainians, the families living in the Gaza strip, the immigrants without due-process, those unjustly in prison, etc., etc. It’s overwhelming. I try to stay informed. I write to my congressional representatives; I do my best to be open and kind to everyone; I wish to be an instrument of peace. I met a woman yesterday whose 25 year old son has a condition that robs him of an immune system and he is never well. There is no cure and doctors have told him he lives at death’s door. His mother says, “She clings to hope and it aggravates him.” How does a mother not cling to hope? What would acceptance look like? Would telling him each day that she is grateful to be sharing it with him help? Would that express and model acceptance for him? I’ve come to believe that compassion is not to feel sorrow for another but to walk with and truly BE with them. The St. Teresa Prayer song comes to mind:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SQtXzjC2pg&list=RD2SQtXzjC2pg&start_radio=1
I too,
become both overwhelmed and outraged
at the horrors that are happening all over the world,
dear Carol Ann,
and I am very much in tune with what you wrote about sorrow and compassion.
Compassion is a much deeper breed of Bird
and it comes from the most tender part of the heart. ♥
Thank you, Carol Ann. You said a lot here.
This reflection caused me to consider what compassion really means : Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related.
(https://greatergood.berkeley.edu)
Although I can not always relieve suffering, I can still feel motivated to do so. I can relieve suffering of which I am fully or partially responsible. For me this is why I do not eat meat and avoid dairy as best I can. This way I can avoid being/feeling responsible for the suffering of these creatures. This is not always a well received bit of personal information. Those who do eat meat and dairy can often attack me but I feel safe to share this here. My husband is an omnivore and gratefully he makes no judgements about this (aloud?LOL)
On a personal level :
my estranged son can benefit from my compassion as I stay quietly ready with an open and forgiving heart.
My husband who suffers from impatience, perfectionism and struggles with emotional regulation can benefit from patience bestowed onto him.
I also deserve my self compassion with the grief and hurt feelings around these 2 important people.
In small ways I can also practice compassion for others in traffic by being patient and courteous. For the elderly, ill and handicapped by offering help when they struggle.
I can show compassion by being considerate of others and less selfish in my my actions and thoughts. For example by giving my seat to another or standing to the side when in conversation rather than blocking an aisle way or sidewalk. Many many small courteous acts come to mind.
I can never know what suffering lies secret in the lives of anyone I meet or observe, so staying kind, courteous and grateful is a small way I can show my compassion to the hidden suffering potentially surrounding me.
Thank you for allowing me space and witness to put these ideas to words which helps solidify them into my mind.
❤️ Thank you HeatherHoney.
Thank you,
dear Heather,
for your heartfelt and beautiful words
expressed here.
Everyone has some secret pain
and living compassionately
the only answer. ♥
Heather… Can I just say Thank You from the bottom of my heart.
I believe I really needed to see this right now.
💜💜💜
Heather, you obviously prioritize being compassionate throughout your life. My heart feels warmed.
Heather, Thank you for sharing.
Everyone needs compassion. It’s not really optional.
I can show it by listening with intention, reaching out, and if appropriate, sharing my story with honesty and compassion.
I think,
dear Charlie,
that compassion is like a balm
to the souls of both the giver
and the receiver.
You are so right . . .
everyone needs it . . .
everyone. ♥
Charlie, your response feels like a hug to me. Bless you.
The earth and all its people. On the site called Art and Theology they have a picture of a lady holding soil as if it was a little child. It is very moving.
A friend who is in a mental health crisis.
People in a mental health crisis certainly deserve compassion. Too many people get stuck in thinking they are just being negative, and do not realize the severity of their pain. Thank you, Yram, for mentioning your friend.
Mary, Unfortunately, there’s a lot of stigma surrounding that, especially where I come from which is the case for many Traditional Collective Asian cultures. People with mental health are often alone and misunderstood. I have been one of them to a varying degree, so I know the song and dance all too well. It’s why I’ve been outspoken before, because I always have the belief that my voice can make a difference, and I know who I am and what I represent. The topic being brought up at the dinner table is frowned upon in these cultures, because there’s supersticion where if we bring that up, we bring bad luck to the family. Only achievements and the positives can only be brought up.
I admire the way you speak up, Loc. I think your attitude about mental health is excellent.
Thanks, Mary. I have it myself and have a best friend in Josh who has it too. My sensitivity, interest, and experience has inspired my outspokenness.
What you say is true. It brought to my mind the homeless and the addicted. This breaks my heart to the point of tears.
Yes, yes, and yes.
Everyone including myself. I can do a guided meditation on Kristin Neff’s site to recalibrate — https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-practices/ — and then orient that practice towards others too.
Thank you Drea. This reminder was so helpful to start my day … With appreciation, KC
Glad it was helpful and hope you had a good day, KC.
Thanks for the link, Drea! I have not seen this website before.
You’re welcome Mary! Good resources on the site.
The OGs jump out to me. America places a strong emphasis on youth. With productivity being the core value, it goes together with that. The “Out with the old, in with the new” saying says it all.
Crystalize intelligence increases making us wiser as we age. Fluid intelligence decreases making it harder to adapt to new circumstances. We also become lonelier. In fact, that process may very well have already started since Jr. high.
I, myself, have many mannerisms of older people such as: honesty, start and end with heart, calm, and prefer books over ipads which says a lot on our stance on technology.
Young people do prefer print books over e-books, interestingly enough. Those that read, that is. Short-form video is way more compelling.
Drea, the part about younger people prefering handbooks over ybooks caught me by surprise. In my circle of family and close friends, it’s just my uncle-in-law, Mark, who prefers handbooks outside of myself. My buddy, who I’ve talked about before, Sean Coughlin, is the outliar.