Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.
-Dalai Lama
I appreciate this cycle immensely; it reminds me to focus on the good in life. With modern media and all the news that we get inundated with, it can be easy to distract oneself amidst so much negativity and fear-mongering. As I filtered my thoughts and actions better over these past two weeks, I felt so much better. I was able to calmly navigate through stressful situations that would have upset me a lot in the past. I improved how easily I could move on from trivial nuisances, and I extended so much more compassion towards myself and others. It feels great; I plan on maintaining compassionate practices moving forward. I think it would be very foolish of me to abandon such a beneficial skill.
After all, I do not wish to be a fool;
I only seek to be a sugjester in all :)
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Watching the most recent US presidential debate on Tuesday night was relieving and uplifting for me. Sure, towards the end, I started muting the TV whenever he was talking (or interrupting because it was inconceivable to not ALWAYS have the last word) because I no longer wanted to hear the same canned bologna over and over again. Watching and listening to Kamala, though, was a breath of fresh air. Her demeanor and the way she delivered examples with specifics was educational and inspiring. At this point, I feel encouraged and reinvigorated by the idea that we could see a possible improvement in the near future. I will acknowledge that I am probably being at least a little naive to expect too much, but Kamala can be the first true presidential presence since Obama. We can have an elite leader representing our country again. A bold, confident, and eloquent woman who refuses to be belittled or overshadowed by brash and belligerent old men.
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
-Coretta Scott King
What stood out to me was Kamala’s compassion; in my opinion, one of her classiest moves throughout the evening was making pledges to the voters. She pledged to serve all Americans, and she discussed not turning a blind eye to suffering. Kamala Harris seems to seek out genuine connection; I believe in her potential; I strongly believe that she is a much better option than the alternative. I would love to move on from the doom and gloom projections that are being proffered by the past. Compassion starts with you.
Replace your fear with compassion.
We can delineate some Kampassion.
Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer.
-Rachel Joy Scott
For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: How do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?
-bell hooks
Have you started extending more compassion towards yourself and others?
If so, great!
If not, what are you afraid of?
Why not try?
I believe in your capacity to transform.
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.