It May Help
May 17th, 2017 by Kimberly
When we know ourselves to be connected to all others, acting compassionately is simply the natural thing to do.
RACHEL NAOMI REMEN
via Gratefulness.org
Some days, I am the person I want to be. Many days, I am not. A mix of faith, prayer, meditation and people to hold me accountable serve as my personal Batmobile to a better mindset, and I try to use this transport on a daily basis. Reading this quote reminded me of an additional motivator: selfishness. Having compassion for others, not returning hurt for hurt, makes the world better for everyone, including me. I keep coming across the idea in my reading that people hurt each other out of their own hurt. We get hurt, we feel like hurting someone else so we’re not alone or so we feel superior for ten seconds, and the hurt moves on to someone else. Except that we don’t actually give it away. Instead, we put in motion the very wheel that will spin the hurt back to us again, some later day.
Next time I am the recipient of those ill-chosen words or that thoughtless action, maybe I can take a breath instead of passing them on to someone else. Perhaps I can take a moment to remember that they are hurting, and that their action has nothing to do with me. In the process, I can remind myself that the ultimate recipient of this selflessness is, in fact, self.
It may not make the world all rainbows right away, but it’s a place to start.
Kimberly follows the rainbow. It sometimes means getting rained on, but it’s worth it.
I love the rainbow- sets the right tone for my day. Thanks, Kim.