Helping us to think ahead and prepare for April I wanted to share some of the information I have gathered. We can use this for April, but also when we think about how we act or react with our most challenging friends. Maybe we can take some time to mindfully reflect on our own compassion. We can remember to utilizing Metta Loving-Kindness Mediation for our thoughts and then put those thoughts into action.
Compassion v Kindness
Kindness is an action. An act we do for others.
Compassion is a feeling. We not only complete an act of kindness for others, but we put feeling into the action.
Kindness can be done without compassion. You can do something nice for another person without putting any feelings toward the other person.
Compassion is the ability to feel for and with someone else. The old saying "Put yourself in someone else's shoes."
Compassion is an inner experience and is often defined as "suffering together."
Compassion involves: Sympathy, Empathy, Concern, Patience, Wisdom, Kindness, and Resolving the matter
If you want thought provoking and powerful quotes on compassion look up the Dalai Lama. One of his quotes says, "Love and Compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive."
The thought of "Suffering Together" can get scary and feel messy; but imagine how your students would feel if they knew you were in with them.
Over the last week I kept seeing parenting comments/ideas related to compassion. I will share one of the posts.
This struck such a deep cord with me. For parenting and our students. Often times when a child is acting out they are sent to their rooms, alone. Another similar post I saw commented on "what else can we expect from teenagers but for them to withdraw and retreat when upset, we taught them to be alone when they are in trouble."
What if instead of isolation we practice compassion? What if we "suffer together"?
Compassion can seem like a sacrifice of our personal time, energy, and emotion. Sometimes we need to sacrifice for others to show them compassion. One of my long time favorite quotes is from Mitch Albom's book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, "Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's no something to regret. It's something to aspire to."
What if we all aspired to have a little more sacrificial compassion?
Today when you notice a struggling student; take a deep breath, send them some Loving-Kindness mindfulness (a wish for them to be well), and then step into the mess with them and work out of it together.
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