Have you ever noticed how kindness changes an experience completely?
Maybe, someone took care of you sometime when you were sick… just a soothing touch, a gentle tone, a kind word.
Kindness and compassion can make even bad pain or difficulty bearable.
Cultivate Compassion
We don’t like to see anyone suffer. A natural wish to alleviate pain arises when we see it.
But, we are conditioned to ignore this… to walk past the homeless man or woman sleeping on the street.
“if you want others to be happy, practice compassion, if you want to be happy, practice compassion” – Dalai Lama
We know this deeply.
Much of what we celebrate at Christmas – is our natural wish to care, to share, to give.
Cultivate Compassion – starting with self compassion
However, we may be less familiar with feeling compassion for ourselves in times of difficulty.
I see so many people who treat themselves harshly, when struggling with inadequacy, anxiety, grief.
All this self sabotage does is make a difficult situation harder to bear.
Cultivate Compassion – ‘WE’ focused, not ‘you’ or ‘me’
“For someone to develop genuine compassion towards others, first he or she must have a basis upon which to cultivate compassion, and that basis is the ability to connect to one’s own feelings and to care for one’s own welfare… Caring for others requires caring for oneself.”- Dalai Lama
Imagine instead responding to yourself with kindness and understanding rather than criticism and isolation when you’re struggling with difficult feelings?
Cultivate Compassion and learn to support yourself
Would it help to support yourself during these times?
After all, everyone feels pain, has difficulties, makes mistakes, fails.
It is what we have in common with all human beings.
10mins Guided Kindness & Compassion Practice
Click below to access this 10minute Loving Kindness & Compassion practice
PLAY SHORT GUIDED PRACTICE
and may you be happy, healthy… feel warmth and love… be protected from harm and free from fear… may you enjoy ease and inner peace.
This blog was written by Joanne O’Malley, Mindfulness at Work.
We offer Workplace Mindfulness Training that transforms peoples’ work and their lives.
Interested in learning more?
Check out our range of Training Options:
Mindful Leadership Programmes
Mindfulness Workplace Courses
1 to 1 Mentoring
Workplace Wellness Talks / Workshops or please get in touch….
