What if we believed in the goodness of everyone’s soul? What if we believed that everyone could meet their highest potential? What is we believed that our hardships were making us stronger, more compassionate? What if we believed that even in the darkest moments the sacred was present?
When we believe, our paradigm shifts. For living within these “what ifs” does not negate or ignore the sufferings, the horrors of this world. The “what ifs” provide a template to bridge a growing divide. The tools we use to fortify this bridge are compassion and understanding. Span by span, pillar by pillar, we shift from a me-centric world to a community of we.
This building begins with a practice self compassion. These are not selfish acts; rather, they are nurturing acts that increase the awareness of our wounds and our suffering. Through self compassion we heal our woundedness. Our internal spark combusts. The flaring light of our authentic self powers our compassionate response into the world.
Refreshed, we name, without judgment, a behavior for what it really is. When we name an injustice, we no longer react from the force of our anger. Instead, we use the power of our anger to respond. Anger no longer controls us; we harness its power to bring about change.
Once in the paradigm of “we believe,” we leave our hermitage. Joining together in community, we stabilize the bridge’s foundation and lay the tiles of hope on the bridge one compassionate act at a time. We are compassion warriors not fighting the good fight, but warriors who are building a new paradigm based upon what we believe.
Without a collective effort, the world would combust from suffering and injustice on so many levels. Without a compassionate heart driven response, we would individually and collectively throw accelerants on this smoldering fire. Our bridge would become kindling for a resurgence of the outdated, violent, unjust paradigm.
As I rest in the belief of “what if,” I gain hope from those who speak out with a strong voice and a loving heart. Their words and actions proclaim that the world cannot and must not be changed by the sword of violence. Rather, the weapons must be forged in the compassion of “what if.” Let’s rally the troops not to destroy the bridge but to strengthen this connection through compassionate action and nonviolence. In doing so we live in a paradigm of a community of inclusion.
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Neural Synchrony™ facilitator, professional speaker, and author who weaves her inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action. Vanessa assists clients in navigating their life paths with intuition. Contact Vanessa @ vanessa@intentandaction.com for keynotes, programs, and consultations.
Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2018
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