Last time, I introduced my intent to dedicate a year to mindfulness and
sharing my thoughts on it. Without any delay, let's get right into it.
To me, compassion means your ability to understand and relate with the problems of other people. Similar to realizing how everyone is dealing with their own struggles, I think it's also very important to learn to care about the well-being of others. We aren't obligated by any means to care about others' problems as it's likely not our business. However, when someone's having a bad day a single act of kindness can make a world of difference for both you and them.
Today, I saw someone drop something as they were walking and I went to return it to them. It made them smile, they thanked me, and it made me feel a little good to have helped someone. Some people might think what I did was only natural, but that's not the case for everyone and we might take even small acts of kindness for granted. For most people, I think it makes them feel good to know that someone else was thinking about them. It feels good when people show that they care about us, doesn't it?
Something very important to keep in mind is to never expect anything back. We might do something for someone and not get even a thank you in return. They might not even feel happy that you did something for them. It sucks, but just as we are free to be compassionate to others, they are free to express their gratitude (or lack of) however they like. Regardless of how people might respond to your actions, us trying to look out for others still benefits us. Depending on how you view life, there is more to gain from being a compassionate person than there is to lose.
The point of being compassionate and kind to others isn't to be liked, thanked, or getting anything in return. That's not compassion. You just want to get something out of the situation. Instead, we should let go of any expectations and be compassionate because we want to. When we do the things we want, we become happy. If we want to be compassionate and do things for others, that's how we become happy from it. Even something as simple as picking up and returning something a person dropped can bring a smile to their face. If we're able to influence others to become more compassionate themselves, it's the icing on the cake and everyone benefits in some way from it.
Peace
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." - The Dalai Lama
To me, compassion means your ability to understand and relate with the problems of other people. Similar to realizing how everyone is dealing with their own struggles, I think it's also very important to learn to care about the well-being of others. We aren't obligated by any means to care about others' problems as it's likely not our business. However, when someone's having a bad day a single act of kindness can make a world of difference for both you and them.
Today, I saw someone drop something as they were walking and I went to return it to them. It made them smile, they thanked me, and it made me feel a little good to have helped someone. Some people might think what I did was only natural, but that's not the case for everyone and we might take even small acts of kindness for granted. For most people, I think it makes them feel good to know that someone else was thinking about them. It feels good when people show that they care about us, doesn't it?
Something very important to keep in mind is to never expect anything back. We might do something for someone and not get even a thank you in return. They might not even feel happy that you did something for them. It sucks, but just as we are free to be compassionate to others, they are free to express their gratitude (or lack of) however they like. Regardless of how people might respond to your actions, us trying to look out for others still benefits us. Depending on how you view life, there is more to gain from being a compassionate person than there is to lose.
The point of being compassionate and kind to others isn't to be liked, thanked, or getting anything in return. That's not compassion. You just want to get something out of the situation. Instead, we should let go of any expectations and be compassionate because we want to. When we do the things we want, we become happy. If we want to be compassionate and do things for others, that's how we become happy from it. Even something as simple as picking up and returning something a person dropped can bring a smile to their face. If we're able to influence others to become more compassionate themselves, it's the icing on the cake and everyone benefits in some way from it.
Peace
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| Compassion can have a ripple effect on the people around us and can change the world. |
Today's assignment: Look for compassion around you. Think about and explore what compassion is and feels like to you.
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