what is compassion

Let’s start with what it’s not:

it’s not sympathy or pity
it’s not blind acceptance or inappropriate leniency
it’s not the mantra of a spineless amoeba
it’s not a desire or mandate to fix another human being
it’s not a finite resource

:

It is a state of grounded empathy
a fearless sense of open connection
an intelligent “emotional telepathy”
an ability to see through the surface to discern
what’s really running this story
… or, at least an awareness that there’s
more to the story
than you may ever fully know
it’s an ability to sit with another’s pain without
becoming consumed by it
and an ability to sit with your own pain without
giving it full reign to define who you are
it is power
the power to feel larger than the story – to activate an
expansive and abiding love that invites
accurate perception
it is the conscious wish for someone else to experience
happiness (to let their heart come out and play again)
it is a state of active-connected-detachment
(I’m here to help–I feel your pain–I’m not you)
it is rooted in self-esteem: the keen ability to
trust your intuition and to be yourself in any scenario
it is inexhaustible
you cannot run out of compassion
it does not drain you; it refreshes and nourishes infinitely

Compassion for another person requires a willingness to step INside their story and see how it feels; the stamina to do so without becoming lost in it or attached to the outcome; the heart-felt wish for them to experience health and happiness.

Compassion for oneself requires a willingness to step OUTside your own story and see it with loving eyes; the courage to recognize truth and follow new leads; the wish for your own heart to heal and the intention to add a vibrant rhythm to enhance the greater dance around you as you begin to join in.

~ by Laurie on 06/07/2009.