COMPASSION
WHY SHOULD YOU DEVELOP COMPASSION IN YOUR LIFE?
You should develop compassion in your life because it is not only a gift to others but also a gift to yourself. Compassion is not only good for your brain but also to your soul. In my opinion compassion can lead to true happiness and peace!
According to Seeds Of Compassion, compassion in others stimulates your brain and heart, because the brain just like other muscles of your body needs this type of stimulation.Emotions are biologically based aspect of human functioning and are actually built into the structure of your brain as a child.
The site Greater Good, “The Science of a Meaningful Life,” reminds us that compassion in not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. That empathy refers more generally to our ability to take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help.
Wikipedia defines compassion as, “an emotion that is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce the suffering of another; to show special kindness to those who suffer.”
One of the most compassionate souls in this world was believed to be Mother Teresa. I don’t know if we can ever be Mother Teresa, but we can sure strive to immolate her. As she most appropriately put it,” If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”
So how are we going to do this? It’s the small things that we do that can make a difference. It’s the belief that we are more alike than we are different. We need to understand that we all want the same things, acceptance, love, and compassion. It’s the belief we all matter! It’s not very complicated yet we make it so hard. We have to stop the excuse that, “we have our own problems to worry about others.” Let’s stop being jaded with our world and it’s problems. We must practice empathy that will result in compassion.
The people that practice compassion have figured out that practicing compassion not only gives happiness to others but gives so much more back! I know this for a fact, because when I have practiced this humble act, I am filled with joy, I am given purpose!
I love the picture of the soldier! This is compassion in full effect. This soldier has empathize with the pain and suffering of the child. This picture gives me hope, because it shows that the soldier was not jaded with all the suffering that he/she may have experienced. Which I truly believe is the reason why we may lack compassion for others. We have simply become jaded, with the negativity of the world. We feel a complete disconnect with all that goes around us. We have let the ego take lead and forgot why we are here, to help one another!
I believe that the best way to become more compassionate is to identify or empathize with others. Zen Habits: breath suggests these, “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.”
The image above also demonstrates the act of compassion. I can only speculate that the emotions that both these individual feeling were of love and connection!
Remember we are more ALIKE than we are different, and
Also don’t forget there is more to compassion than just being empathetic. You must decide to do something about it to have the full gift! One more time, having compassion towards others gives you purpose and makes you feel more alive. You will never regret compassionate acts, but you will regret lack of compassion. Try it for yourself! Put yourself in that persons shoes, before you judge or condemn.
With todays blog I hope I was able to define why having compassion is important to your soul,and how we are more alike than we are different! To be a solid human being there are many character traits that will contribute to your success, being a compassionate person is one of them. True success is not only discovering your true purpose but helping others with theirs. In my optimistic view for our planet I wish for all of us to overcome selfishness, and do more for each other. Trust me you have more to gain and lot’s to lose when you let go of your ego, and let your spirit take lead!
Until next Monday friends and don’t forget, BELIEVE.CHANGE.BECOME!