This
weekend I re-proofread my book, Engaging
Compassion Through Intent and Action.
What began as an exercise is catching printing errors became rolling
moments of reflection. The phrase
“through compassion we live in conscious relationship; we are community,” resonated
with me. Compassion is the power to
transcend differences and celebrate diversity.
Through the lens of compassion, we peer past illusion to clearly see and
act upon the suffering of another.
Relationship is connection. How does viewing
relationship as connection shift the way you connect? Each time we interact with another, we enter
into relationship — some last minutes while others span our lifetime. When our mindset is relationship no matter
how brief the contact, no one is a stranger.
Everyone has within them the potential to be a friend. (Repeat that , “Everyone has within them the potential to be a friend.” Allow that to resonate in your body. Reflect upon that. How does that phrase change you? How does
that shift the way that you look at others?)
Compassionate
sharing becomes natural when we no longer objectify or ignore others. Opening a door, offering a smile, initiating
a conversation happen with ease. Through compassion we enter into the
community. Each person in this group has
one common thread — compassion freely shared.
The thread of one twines around the thread of another. A vibrant tapestry — a community of
connections — is created.
Compassion in Practice: On Tuesdays Fresh Market reduces
the price of chicken breasts and ground beef.
I usually arrive early to beat the crowds. This week was different. In an effort to add a new event to Facebook
and to manage another Facebook event, it was almost 11 a.m. before I got to
Fresh Market. Of course, there was a
line at the butcher counter. And, the
woman in front of me was purchasing what appeared to be a half a cow. I could feel my angst ratcheting as not one
but two women left in a huff.
Moving into awareness, I did what
has become my new normal — I engaged others. First I smiled at the woman behind
the counter and then began to talk with the woman who was in front of me. Those
next moments were transformative. I discovered the butcher had only been there
a week and the second butcher, who came later to help, was able to weigh meat
in his sleep! The line didn’t suddenly
evaporate, but the mood of the crowd shifted.
We formed community. And, I
remember what Thomas Merton tells us — we can be in community or we can be in a
crowd.
What would
happen if we looked past our judgments, agendas, and illusions and peered
deeply into the eyes of another? Try this: for one day commit to really
looking at another person. You do not
have to make eye contact but do look the person in the face. Unless you feel inclined, you do not need to
engage the person verbally.
Here is what happened to me: I began my day filled with trepidation. “What if someone caught me looking at them
and thought I was strange?” I fretted.
It took me a bit to get past that fear.
What began as quick glances at another became spontaneous smiles that
not surprisingly were returned. By
midday I was filled with joy and began to have conversations with strangers —
we connected in joy-filled community. Of
course, when my son arrived home from school later that afternoon, this joy
overflowed into my relationship with him.
How is
compassion the glue of your conscious relationships? How do the strands of your compassion twine
with the strands of others to form community?
Wishing
you a beautiful tapestry woven with vibrant strands of compassion,
Vanessa is
an Intuitive Coach, Community Builder, and Compassionista, and Author of
Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action
More from
Vanessa: www.intentandaction.com
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