"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.
