Before
the end of the current spring, today (Friday - June 19, 2020) I was truly happy to be able to meet (on line) with some of my
friends for our seasonal book club session, this time discussing compassion.
As
we all are aware of the multitude of adjustments we have to make to our daily
lives during the existing COVID-19 pandemic and keeping up to date with the
ongoing developments surrounding this matter, we had our meeting via modern
technology in order to prevent the spread.
Given
that we all are encouraged to carry on with the practice of social distancing,
as life goes on, we are adopting a responsible manner in order to continue to enjoy
our cultural activities.
Also, instead of our usual novel, this time a university study on compassion
conjugated with an additional essay were selected.
The
conversations of our evening together emerged beautifully, as compassion is a topical
virtue in such a high demand during these trying days.
It was truly delightful to notice how well my guests embraced the subject,
all evolving into a meaningful conversation, with breadth & depth.
Without any doubt, the chosen subject is vast and we could've speak about it extensively,
but for the purpose of our gathering we covered aspects that apply directly to
the period we all are going through - a worldwide pandemic combined with
complex social issues.
Questions such as: ”What can we do (individually
& as a group)? ”, ”How could we continue to remain compassionate in a
world where kindness is perceived as a faulty weakness?
”, ”What’s next for humanity? ”, ”Are we
really as evolved as we think we are?”, ”Is peers’
pressure preventing us from becoming more or less compassionate?”, ”Do you really need to be rich to be
compassionate?”, and so on….
In brief, here I will share few additional points on what we could do individually as well
as collectively in order to become a bit more compassionate:
- in your
circle of friends, do your best to be a good friend or to become a better one │ - listen attentively, smile and be polite
- be less judgmental, less prejudiced, less biased │ - volunteer in your community
- commit to conscious and random small acts of kindness every week │ - make sure the people you interact with feel valued, respected and heard
- reach beyond your current boundaries and be nicer with your family members, with
your friends, with your neighbours, with your contacts, with your colleagues, with
your associates, with your fellows, with your network
- acknowledge someone you usually ignore by breaking the cold habit with the simple
question: “What do you think?”
Yes, there is a lot each of us could do every single day, but before we reach
out it is important to be reminded that in order for compassion to be complete
it has to start with self-compassion, so dear friends, each time you can, please
be kind with yourself!
Also,
for your convenience, on the same theme, here is a brief article I wrote, called”Beauty of COMPASSION”.
On
the other hand, as we all know, soon (on this part of the world), people will
celebrate Father’s Day, occasion which allowed us to express ahead of time the appreciation
for each of our fathers, as well as honoring their contribution in raising children.
In
closing of these comments, by this note, I’m sending once again my most sincere
appreciation to all my friends who were able to join me this evening, wishing
them each a wonderful time together with their loved ones!
Alice
Judgement
divides. Compassion unites.
