Are You A Soldier of Compassion?

Dec

Impromptu Letters | apathy, Compassion, good news network, simple gestures

We all marshal feelings of inadequacy as we turn to those in need. Time and time again we see fearful acts that offer no solution to untenable situations. Marshal what you will but never forget your link to one another is far greater than the one who turns against another sentient being.

Is our ability to provide compassion relative?

There is a real need for genuine, every day acts of compassion in the world we live in. Expected compassion is not compassion it is weak kneed abhorrence to it. Giving begrudgingly is not compassion either; it is a narrow escape for those who seek to sift through their means and be seen and judged as naturally compassionate. There is nothing natural in that scenario. If however we can toss relation out the window, sift beyond expected outcomes and tread beyond our need into willingness, we soldier in kind. The truth is we cannot escape our intentions, they surface no matter how little or how much care and kindness we move with.

Pay no attention to those who look the other way.

“They” expect you to walk and or run out of fear or reprisal. Stop asking “What will they say?” It makes no difference how, when or where compassion is instilled into and through us, what matters is that it comes at all. Worry not if you exude a sheer joy when compassion is given even as others flinch to receive.

Cob webs only clear when we ask to remove them.

One by one we remove our quaint notions of compassion through a blinding flare that others shoot up every day. We hear a voice wince in pain, an obscure group shuffles to retain its place in democracy, a verbal attack is settled squarely on your street. These flares send up perspective and ask for more than what we currently offer in silence. Perhaps good news is exactly what we need to be serving to others through simple gestures. Compassion will never allow us to wait in the wings for the right moment to embody its need, nor will it stop on a dime looking for a respected host to attend to. It simply holds out its hand and waits for you to acknowledge a need.

If apathy to our day plops a chance to act compassionately, we should acquiesce to it. Not everyone is able to grasp the moment or the measures of compassion that arise. If we first measure our response instead of acting on what we know is necessary from one soul to another, such mandatory acts of care would never appear in print to begin with, they would be the defacto standard, a way of life.

Is there a lesson in everyday compassion?

Yes is the short answer. If and when we choose to live compassionately, we start with an idea and work at it. To become a carrier or instrument of compassion is to leave behind any notion that we should be doing otherwise. Choose to become, develop the art form right where you live and work, don’t let a soul know by words, or though, do it by aligning those words with intentness.

Rocks fall from cliffs and mountains for a reason. They place either boulders in your path or a means to climb to greater heights. You choose, and don’t wait for one to fall on your head!

For further acts of compassion visit The Good News Network and The Charter for Compassion, both tremendous starts to my day and hopefully yours!