Compassion and Gratitude Equal Peace and Love.

 Look back in forgiveness, forward in hope,

down in compassion, and up with gratitude.

—Zig Ziglar

A few days ago, a friend and I drove by a homeless person who looked very sad, tired, and hopeless. My friend mentioned that she felt badly for her; she wished homelessness didn’t exist. I told her that there was a difference between feeling sorry for someone who was living in these circumstances and having compassion and empathy for them. I shared my belief that the three most powerful emotions that should guide our lives are gratitude, empathy, and compassion. These three emotions are needed if you want to live a life of abundance and success.  With gratitude you see your blessings, which will result in more blessings in your life. With compassion and empathy, you get to experience the passion that exists in your heart for others. Compassion and empathy give you the opportunity to share your love with those in need of love. Today, let’s talk about these three emotions, which the world needs more people to experience to help make it a better place.

Gratitude is the gift you should seek because it magnifies the blessings in your life. With gratitude you get to notice how blessed you really are. Counting your blessings ignites your joy. The emotion of gratitude also reminds you of all the wonderful people, circumstances, and experiences that occupy your life.  If you practice gratitude, you feel abundance. You need nothing else, so anything extra you receive is just a cherry on top! I find that when I don’t focus on my blessings, my pain, sorrow, and disappointments deepen. Without gratitude you see only the negative aspects of your life. If you exclude gratitude, you go through life feeling a sense of lack. People who have happy lives practice gratitude and feel a sense of completeness. They seek more blessings by being in the moment and noticing all the wonderful elements in their lives. With this attitude, they attract more wonderful experiences to their lives.

Do you want love in your heart? Then practice compassion for yourself and others. What do I mean by this? When you have compassion for yourself, you love yourself. You do things for yourself that benefit the growth of your spirit. You never compromise your mission. You know you are valuable. With compassion, you can love yourself and others because you have an open heart. If you have an open heart, the energy of love you send out will reflect back to you in abundance. With compassion in your heart you get to feel the joy of helping others. You identify with others because we are interconnected; we are one. With compassion, you find love and peace in your soul and get to share that with others.

If you struggle with feeling empathy toward others, here is a way to practice it using
Just Like Me steps :

Step 1: “Just like me, this person is seeking happiness in his/her life.”

Step 2: “Just like me, this person is trying to avoid suffering in his/her life.”

Step 3: “Just like me, this person has known sadness, loneliness, and despair.”

Step 4: “Just like me, this person is seeking to fill his/her needs.”

Step 5: “Just like me, this person is learning about life.”

As I reflected on why I will continue to seek empathy, compassion, and gratitude in my life, I concluded that my reason is so that I can feel more peace and love within myself. I wish that you, too, can feel more peace and love. Give yourself the gifts of empathy, compassion, and gratitude. And see other people’s suffering with empathy and compassion. This is your gift to the world.

Until next Monday! Remember to Believe. Change. Become!

Sending many blessings and love your way!

Nancy😊