Words are throwing themselves at me these last few days. I’m listening more lately. It’s good. Sometimes to others, (not always), but to the quiet voices that enter my head IF I take the time to notice. There’s the rub!
So, compassion….Com… passion….maybe it’s a beckoning…a call for passion, toward loving-ness. (I can make up whatever I want). Passion for what you do, for another, passion! Desire in its many forms. Different from lust…deeper….fuller, longer lasting, better! That’s how I see it.
Living without compassion I think would be horrific. I feel everyone could use more and that we all have the ability to nurture that quality and trait.
A friend of mine shared a desire to have more compassion. I was glad to hear that. Ours egos are threatened by compassion. I’ve notice people in my life confusing compassion with being ‘soft,’ as in ‘sissy’ soft. Far the opposite. Compassion takes courage, it takes putting YOU aside to consider the heart of another. To listen. That takes strength, courage. And ooooh the rewards are PLENTIFUL when we do.
Georgia O’Keefe’ put it well when she shared her thoughts on friendship:
‘Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.’
Georgia O’Keefe’To be a really good friend you need compassion, to be a really good lover, teacher, brother, boss!…I’d hasten to say that to be really ANGRY, you need compassion, (anger being different from rage which is helpless, hopeless and powerless). Anger is good when directed appropriately….dare I say lovingly, compassionately.
I could stand to develop more compassion.
I have it easily for some things in my life…certainly those weaker than me, animals of course, little kids, (sometimes). It’s harder for me to be compassionate toward the bullies, the egomanics, bossy folks, religious zealots, bad listeners, mean people, needy, whiney people. (And yeah, I fall into some of those categories from time to time). These I daresay are the folks who need it the most!
Yeah, I DO have some work to do.
A former mate of mine would get most frustrated with me when I would get upset about one thing or another. He’d needle me, he’d try to convince me to NOT feel however I was feeling…I’d get further pissed, I’d end up feeling wrong, blah, blah, blah….I didn’t know how to guide my feelings elsewhere back then and I was impressionable; I believed what people said about me.
I suppose we always have the choice to be RIGHT or to be LOVING. Consider that when you feel your bile rising. Have you even been ‘right’ and then watched another suffer in your ‘right-ness.’ It’s not worth it. Rarely ever.
In contrast, I’ve another friend who when I get upset or on a passionate tirade, (that’ll be me), he pastes a big fat grin on his face and looks at me lovingly or gives me a warm hug. It instantly changes everything and we usually just laugh a lot, sometimes til we fall down! I breathe, I feel heard, I can answer my own dilemmas. He lives on the other side of the world and I don’t see him much, but I feel his friendship and when I remember that simple gesture, things change in me.
It’s the little things. Someone noticing, witnessing WHO we are that matters, taking time. That is loving. That to me is compassionate. Letting ‘whatever’ be about ANOTHER person. Just loving them ANYHOW!
I’m eager to have another opportunity to try….not just on others, but compassion toward myself. I feel we have many, many, many, MANY opportunities each and every day.
Even the Incredible Hulk had compassion!
Sigh…
BB Webb