Finding bright spots in the chaos
Author: Esther Sarlo, BA, Founder & CEO of Mynd Myself
Have you ever bleestered* about the onfowllit* media doonyach* we are subjected to on a regular basis?
I have…and that’s why I believe compassion is imperative today!
I sometimes feel inundated by so many things clamouring for my attention. How about you?
Setting the Stage
From TikTok ads being the #1 trending topic in the world…yeeesh…to entertainment and fashion (from the Kardashians to Brit royals to sports and pop singer icons to the stratospheric rise of women’s basketball) to the skyrocketing and controversial use of AI to the increase in public conversation about mental health to the uncontested statistics indicating that cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes are STILL the cause of 65% of all deaths in Canada (and globally,) it just feels like too much to absorb.
Then there’s the heated debates around politics, gender, climate change, extreme weather, religion, pollution, toxicity, health, cyber security, war, and the extreme societal polarization we have seen and experienced over the last number of years.
In the shadow of all this chaos, why would anyone want to read a short piece about compassion?
Because I believe…without compassion we’re doomed!
No matter what your beliefs are or where you stand on any of the issues presented above, one thing we might agree on is that most people would value being treated with compassion in times of need. Not avoidance or pity…
but compassion.
So, what is compassion?
Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of others, coupled with the desire to support or to ease that distress in some way. It involves both an emotional response to someone’s pain and an impetus to help. Compassion goes beyond mere sympathy or empathy—it includes a dynamic component where you are moved to take action to relieve the hardship of another.
Key elements of Compassion:
- Recognition of Suffering: Being aware of what’s going on around you and noticing that someone else is experiencing pain or hardship.
- Emotional Resonance: Feeling empathy or emotional connection to someone’s suffering.
- Desire to Help: Wanting to do something to reduce their suffering.
- Action: Taking steps to assist or support the one in distress.
I’m sure you’ve heard some version of this before…probably in multiple contexts. However, the important thing to notice here is the action part of compassion.
In some of our other Mynd Myself blogs we have discussed themes of love, grace, presence, empathy, and authenticity. All of those themes are part of compassion too. They matter—deeply—in the context of our service to others.
Does this only mean that we need to have compassion (and all those other themes) for others? Nope.
Compassion starts with YOU!
I unequivocally believe that compassion needs to start with you first. Just like the over-used but powerful analogy of putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs is true…so is self-compassion. If you are going to live into your magnificence and become your own best health advocate, then you must have compassion for you first.
Can you relate to any of these negative thoughts that may have crossed your mind a time or two, like “You’re not good enough,” “What are you thinking?!” “You’ll never be able to do __________,” “You suck,” “They are so much more __________ than you,” etc.
What if, instead of giving credence to those types of thoughts, you rewired your responses to ones of compassion, curiosity, and kindness. Perhaps you could shift those self-sabotaging thoughts to more supportive thoughts like, “I am enough, and I’m continuing to learn,” “I can choose my thoughts and what I focus on,” “Thoughts and feelings just are. I don’t have to attach to them. I can let them flow through me.” “The universe is happening for me rather than to me, even when things may seem difficult,” “I am me, not __________, and I choose to acknowledge and offer my own unique gifts and talents,” etc.
“If you give your inner genius as much credence as your inner critic,
you would be light years ahead of where you now stand.” ~ Alan Cohen
The Outcomes of Compassion
The more you feel and act with compassion toward yourself, the more you will begin to groove that neural pathway—until it becomes a habit. And this is the kind of habit that you will want to nurture and support for the rest of your life.
Just imagine how much deeper your compassion for others will be when you immerse yourself in that loving and supportive energy for you. Not to mention…how much better you will feel about yourself and the energy you will have available to live the life you want to live.
Enjoy being compassionate—to yourself and others!
We’d love to hear how that recognition-emotion-desire-action pattern unfolds for you.
Light and love to you,
* Oh, and in case you’re interested, here are the definitions for those old Scottish words in the title:
- Bleester—to complain or make a ruckus about something
- Onfowllit—foul in some unusual or forced sense
- Boonyach—diarrhea (literal or figurative)
