Practice the Preaching of Compassion...

I intended this blog to be a weekly journal of my thoughts, struggles, ah-ha moments, etc. The last couple of months, it is has become a once a month post. Many times I sit down to write and think, "who the hell are you to write something that may or may not impact another's life when you can't get your own shit together". Now, part of me thinks that is the exact reason to write, to hopefully get input from folks going through the same ups and downs. The conservative part of me says that I can't be objective enough to write without offending when I'm not in the "correct" frame of mind-whatever that is. So, today I break the mold and write in the midst of turmoil.

The last week we have been inundated with political crap, for lack of a better way to put it. Some had phone calls. Some had home visits. We all had commercials, and now we are dealing with the backlash. Regardless of your political opinion, we now have a new President of the United States, albeit, the same guy as the last four years. Unless your head was under a rock, you already knew this. What is screwing with my head, you ask? Well the icing on my distressed cake is the lack of compassion I'm seeing. So many people are seriously offending and outright insulting friends, family, co-workers all because of their political opinion. What???

I see and hear it everywhere. People at the club are getting into arguments because this one doesn't like that one or this one is in this percentage. When did we, AMERICANS, stop becoming humans and start becoming a percentage? I have quite a few friends, some who consider themselves "good Christians" who have downright declared their lack of compassion to their own friends and family. So, so many have the "I won't feel sorry for you if" position if someone didn't vote the same way they did. Did the last four years make us that cold hearted that we can't feel for and help out someone during hardships? Just because we've faced hardships, and succeeded, in our lives and are a Republican or a Democrat, does that make us less responsible to help our a friend going through a hard time? Why are we so scarred by our struggles and difficulties that we can't want better for our loved ones?  We all make our choices and live with the consequences, but why can't we want each other's experiences to be without struggle?  Why do we need to see others beat down and fail to measure our own self-worth?  Sure, there are always thoooooose people who are the constant takers in the world (who actually need the most compassion), but what about your 58 year old neighbor who's husband just passed away unexpectedly and lost all her retirement in the stock market? If she didn't vote for your party are you really going to kick her to the curb? What makes her so different from the same person/scenario who voted for your party? An opinion? Seeing a family of four struggle to make ends meet, yet, god forbid their kids have a nice pair of shoes on their feet, and we judge because in our opinion (assuming the shoes were parent purchased and not a gift....gasp!) they spent too much on them?  Good lord we have worse issues than whoever would have been sworn in come January!

I just don't get it. I guess I'm one of those people who just naturally cares about others. I'm not saying that the extreme behaviorists I'm talking about above don't care about people, but the difference between them and me is that they have empathy for people, and I have compassion. The difference is that those that are empathetic recognize the struggles of others, they just don't care about helping them and they judge them for making the choices they've made and condemn them to the difficulties they face. Lacking compassion does not make you a bad person. I know way too many people without it. What it does is make you a closed-minded, judgemental person. THIS is what may make you a bad person. How you express your closed-mindedness is what we have to keep in mind.  We most certainly are entitled to our opinions, but not at the sacrifice of some one's feelings.

Here's the deal, people. We all know by now that I am not a practicing religious person. I have my higher power, my Universe, and I trust in it completely. I don't look down upon or even cast a lick of judgement in any one's direction who subscribes to organized religion. In fact, I highly recommend it. However, in this day and age when things are so tough in life and everyone is jumping on the religion bandwagon, I question the true believers. If you claim to be a good Jew and never go to Synagogue, or if you tout yourself as a Catholic and you only go mayyyyyyybe to Christmas mass, yet you spit fire in the direction of a person in need, how can you be the person you claim you are? Let's call a spade a spade (or in my book, a shovel a shovel, not to be confused with a clover, uh, club)! Just about every organized religion has a word for compassion. Hindu is daya, Judaism is rahmana, Buddism is karuna....trust me, I looked this stuff up! For those of you boasting Catholics, try reading the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Message me if you need me to send it to you!  I assure you it will make you rethink your judgement on other's from now on.

My point is, can't we all practice what we preach? Turn your hatred off, take a slow, long look in the mirror and open your heart to a little compassion. The roughness around your edges will smooth. You will feel a warmth in your body you've never felt before. You will have positive energy flowing to you exponentially. You will be loved, and the world will be a better place. (For those who can't read the message on the above photo, it says: "Compassion: deep awareness of the suffering of another without the need to relieve it, feeling total appreciation for it's value; a state of non-judgement")

I challenge each and every person to show a little compassion.  Reach out to those who need it.  You don't have to fix their problems, but give them a shoulder to lean on, an ear to talk to, a hand to hold.  Show a little kindness to your fellow American.  There are many who are literally dying to give you that freedom.  Be the kind of change you want to see in the world, don't exacerbate the negatives already there.  Open your mind, lose the bitterness of the negatives in your past, grow and love from your mistakes and let them go.  Make your life the kind of life people want to share, not just be in (there is a very big difference).  Be the friend that people turn to because they know you won't judge, belittle or condescend to no matter what.  Bring your higher being into your heart, not just your head.  Open your world to all of the great things that are out there and close the doors on one sided opinions.  Love one another.  Teach one another.  Help one another. Be compassionate.

Life's a beach, and then you live on one...