Compassion is often described in terms of what you provide to others, but in doing so, you open your own eyes to the suffering and triumphs of others. This enables you to see yourself differently as well as perceive others as beings with remarkable ability to heal themselves, overcome adversity, and even to take shelter in a dark hollow at times. You come to see that people are all the same in these ways and it builds a part of our character, that part that connects easily to others, that gives us mutual respect and energy for our own lives, for doing good. It can only affect you positively.
I ran across the poem "Compassion" recently by Miller Williams that inspired today's blog, and want to share it with you. Read it slowly and take these thought with you today.
Have compassion for everyone you meet,
even if they don't want it. What seems conceit,
bad manners, or cynicism is always a sign
of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen.
You do not know what wars are going on
down there where the spirit meets the bone.
