Strengthening Our Foundational Consciousness

Our compassionate nature is strengthened within the foundation of consciousness, where we form our intentions.  By adopting a foundational consciousness built upon certain principles, our life begins to reflect our authentic being.  These principles are to cause no harm, to alleviate suffering, and to take life as it is.  The foundational consciousness we create is a sturdy base resting upon several pillars.  As we nurture our consciousness, the pillars grow deep roots into this awareness.  Our conscious intent triggers action through the pillars.  Through ever deepening awareness, we engage our role as a sharer of compassion to our self and for our families, co-workers, and members of our local, national, and global communities.  This foundational consciousness, supported by the life pillars, forms the base of our bridge of compassion.  As we cross the bridge, we live intentionally and begin to transform not only our self but also the world around us.

Foundational consciousness can be built with three simple agreements.  We agree to cause no harm, to alleviate suffering in our self and the world, and to accept life as it is.  When we agree to cause no harm, we are mindful how our words and actions are harmful or hurtful.  We also examine our thoughts to see how they create both spoken and unspoken harm.  The second agreement goes further. Choosing to alleviate suffering is the definition of compassion.  As with causing no harm, alleviating suffering begins within us.  Compassion, like love, begins in the home of our being.  If we cannot be compassionate toward our self, how can we hope to lessen others’ sufferings?  Finally, we agree to accept life as it is.  We are aware of what we can change and what we cannot.  We acknowledge that we learn from the many life challenges and lessons only when we accept life as it is.  We begin to share compassion when we embrace these agreements consciously and allow them to change our personal reality.

Being Present — Understanding Who We Are — Living with Curious Daring — Taking A Long Loving Look: These four pillars invite us into conscious, vibrant living.  They are interrelated; and only together do they provide true support for our life of compassion.  We only engage in awareness when we live with curious daring in the present moment.  As we take a long loving look at our self, we understand who we are and the many roles that we embrace in our life.  As we bring our foundational consciousness and awareness to our work with the pillars, we live our wonder-filled life and deepen our awareness of the awe that exists in our self, the Sacred, others, and all of creation.

Let's build our bridges! Vanessa

Excerpt from Introduction to Part One of Engaging Compassion Through Intent and Action

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