Compassion (10% Happier Self Care Journey) 3/5/20
Compassion - sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
- Sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.
- If someone shows kindness, caring, and a willingness to help others, they're showing compassion. This is a word for a very positive emotion that has to do with being thoughtful and decent. ... When you have compassion, you're putting yourself in someone else's shoes and really feeling for them.
- The ability to see the pain, sorrow or suffering of others similar to your own issues is the first step toward compassion. Seeing others as yourself dealing with the ups and downs of life's cycle.
- Keep your perception healthy and increase your mindfulness about others by visualizing someone who you see dealing with these various issues and offer thoughts and phrases of loving-kindness and compassion toward them. (May you be happy, healthy, live with ease, etc.) [You can also choose phrases that work better for you]
- Don't worry about forcing the feeling of compassion or loving-kindness while practicing this exercise. Just be "open" to it. That's all the willingness needed for the process to take effect in it's own time.
- This isn't about fabricating an emotion or feeling. It's about paying attention in a different way in order to gradually develop your mindfulness, empathy and compassion around others and the reality they're dealing with.
- There are many expressions and manifestations of compassion. Being quiet, outspoken, gentle as well as stern or intense. Being open and vulnerable or setting up strong emotional boundaries. The key is to always be aware of your motivations to decipher if you're coming from a place of indifference. Be gentle with yourself as you continually guide yourself more and more toward actions spawned by positive motivations.
