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Compassion is the ability to see the
deep connectedness between ourselves and others. Moreover, true
compassion recognizes that all the boundaries we perceive between
ourselves and others are an illusion. When we first begin to practice
compassion, this very deep level of understanding may elude us, but we
can have faith that if we start where we are, we will eventually feel our
way toward it. We move closer to it every time we see past our own
self-concern to accommodate concern for others. And, as with any skill,
our compassion grows most in the presence of difficulty.
We practice small acts of compassion
every day, when our loved ones are short-tempered or another driver cuts
us off in traffic. We extend our forgiveness by trying to understand
their point of view; we know how it feels to be stressed out or
irritable. The practice of compassion becomes more difficult when we find
ourselves unable to understand the actions of the person who offends us.
These are the situations that ask us to look more deeply into ourselves,
into parts of our psyches that we may want to deny — parts that we have
repressed because society has labeled them bad or wrong. This is where
the real potential for growth begins. We are called to shine a light
inside ourselves and take responsibility for what we have disowned. It is
at this juncture that we have the opportunity to transform from within.
This can seem like a very tall order,
but when life presents us with circumstances that require our compassion,
no matter how difficult, we can trust that we are ready. We can call upon
all the light we have cultivated so far, allowing it to lead the way and
connecting us to the hearts of others.
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