Compassion

Compassion is seeing suffering, being present with that suffering, and experiencing a desire to help end that suffering.  For months now, I've been really conscious of compassion as a main focal point of my life.  My compassion for myself and for others has grown significantly. 

I am learning to focus on the suffering of others, even when they are causing pain and misery to the people around them, including me.  It can be challenging. Sometimes I get caught "in my head" about it.  I try to think about someone's suffering, to analyze it.  That usually goes poorly.  It prevents me from experiencing their suffering, from being present to their pain.  I'm getting much better at recognizing that I'm doing that. Once I stop analyzing, feeling what they are going through becomes much easier.  I commonly don't know anything about their actual suffering, such as when it's someone I come across in public who I don't know.  But I can sense their suffering.  By allowing myself to feel that pain that emanates from them, I am able to be kind to them, even when they are not being kind to me, to others, or especially to themselves.  They may not be ready to accept my kindness, but there's nothing I can do about that.  What I can do is continue to give it.  And I'm sure some people have and will benefit from that, even if others don't.  

Beyond that, the people who are an active part of my life that I can offer compassion to will benefit from this.  I'm becoming a better listener, and I hope, a better friend, mate and father.  I'm very happy about that.

And finally, I will benefit.  I was raised with very little compassion.  So when I got to adulthood, I knew almost nothing about it.  As a consequence, I was not very nice to myself (or others) when I was a young adult.  I've been better at it for years, but this new improvement in my skills will certainly have a big affect on me.  I look forward to being more and more compassionate, to myself and to others.  "Peace in oneself, peace in the world."