Compassion; Being Good to Yourself

"Compassion is the antitoxin of the soul: where there is compassion even the most poisonous impulses remain relatively harmless."
~ Eric Hoffer


Webster defines compassion as : sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. To me, this means that compassion is the active part of love....the evidence of love being transferred from one to another. Compassion is an antitoxin! We thrive on compassion at any time, but when we are filled with negative thoughts, showing compassion is like throwing a life-line.

We usually think in terms of feeling compassion for others, but I think it's just as important to have compassion for ourselves, for it is only with compassion that we truly can go forward and grow into all that we can be.

It is not by commanding ourselves (or others) to think and feel and do "in a better way"that we are helpful. Before we can work our way through a bad time , we need to fully accept where we are. It is when we are able to muster compassion for ourselves that we are strengthened by this love in action.

Enjoy What You Are Doing

Expansion and positive change on the outer level is much more likely to come into your life if you can enjoy what you are doing already, instead of waiting for some change so that you can start enjoying what you do.

When you make the present moment, instead of past and future, the focal point of your life, your ability to enjoy what you do....and with it the quality of your life...increases dramatically.
(Eckhart Tolle)


Each of us has to find for ourselves a way, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us, to accept the present moment. We need to look for that "click" experience. For me it was stumbling across a definition of "acceptance". I had struggled with not being able to accept certain things, no matter how hard I tried. The beginning of freedom came in the discovery that this is o.k. .......If you cannot accept, then accept that you cannot accept. Forcing anything only brings resistance.

Thoughts on Acceptance

Don't try to become free. Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance. Instead try these three exercises:

***The moment you completely accept your nonpeace, your nonpeace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there....will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.

***When you accept what is, every moment is the best moment. That is enlightenment.

***You don't need to deceive yourself and say that there is nothing wrong in a particular undesirable situation. It may be time for you to get out of it. If so, you can recognize fully that you want to get out of it. Then narrow your attention down to the present moment without mentally labeling it in any way. No judgment, no resistance, no emotional negativity. Then you can take action and do all that you can to leave that situation.

Eckhard Tolle

Outside Our Comfort Zone

Most of us have had the experience of tackling some dreaded task only to come out the other side feeling invigorated, filled with a new sense of confidence and strength. The funny thing is, most of the time when we do them, we come out on the other side changed and often wondering what we were so worried about or why it took us so long.

Whether we avoid something because it scares us or bores us, or because we think it will force a change we’re not ready for, putting it off only creates obstacles for us. On the other hand, facing the task at hand, no matter how onerous, creates flow in our lives and allows us to grow. The relief is palpable when we stand on the other side knowing that we did something even though it was hard or we didn't want to do it. (from the Daily OM)

We all have at least one thing in our life that never seems to get done. Doing this task is an act that can liberate a tremendous energy in our lives. Resistance takes a huge amount of energy, and causes unneccessary stress. No matter what wise person provides the message, the answer to peace in our lives is always the same: Accept and embrace what's before you. Do not fight with it.

Acceptance

Don't try to become free. Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance.

• The moment you completely accept your nonpeace, your nonpeace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender.
• When you accept what is, every moment is the best moment. That is enlightenment.
• You don't need to deceive yourself and say that there is nothing wrong with a particular unpleasant or undesirable life situation. It may be time for you to get out of it. If so, you can recognize fully that you want to get out of it. Then, narrow your attention down to the present moment without mentally labeling it in any way. No judgment, no resistance, no emotional negativity. Just the "isness" of this moment. Then you take action and do all that you can to get out of the situation.

Eckhart Tolle

Disapproving Faces

Not Everybody Will Like You

It is not necessarily a pleasant experience, but there will be times in our lives when we come across people who do not like us. As we know, like attracts like, so usually when they don’t like us it is because they are not like us.

Rather than taking it personally, we can let them be who they are, accepting that each of us is allowed to have different perspectives and opinions. When we give others that freedom, we claim it for ourselves as well, releasing ourselves from the need for their approval so we can devote our energy toward more rewarding pursuits.

While approval from others is a nice feeling, when we come to depend on it we may lose our way on our own path. There are those who will not like us no matter what we do, but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with us.

Each of us has our own filters built from our experiences over time. They may see in us something that is merely a projection of their understanding, but we have no control over the interpretations of others. The best we can do is to hope that the role we play in the script of their lives is helpful to them, and follow our own inner guidance with integrity.

from the Daily OM