Compassion First
We are one. All of humanity is interconnected, a collective consciousness experiencing life from every possible angle. We can see the shadow side of that consciousness playing out on the collective stage now more than ever. But we don’t heal those parts of ourselves by shaming, hating, or disowning them. We heal the darkest aspects by loving them as part of the whole. The dark and the light are both within each of us, but if we can bring both sides into balance, we are better able to express our true, authentic selves.
Practicing Compassion
Admittedly, I used to get road rage. I’m sure lots of people can relate to that. When someone cuts you off, stops short in front of you, or pulls out in front of you without enough time to get up to speed, the first reaction, understandably, is anger. How could they be so careless? Thoughtless? Even stupid?
My healing in this arena came down to the fact that I didn’t want to be the person who demonstrated road rage. Also, the anger doesn’t feel good because it’s not in alignment with who you really are. We are made of love, and that is our true nature. It’s one thing to understand that, and it’s another thing to flip a switch to love when you start to feel your blood boil. In my healing, I practiced compassion by imagining terrible scenarios for that other driver.
Maybe their mom just passed away. Maybe their boss yelled at them during their shift at work today. Perhaps they were just diagnosed with a terrible illness. This was way before any awareness of the law of attraction, so the worse the scenario, the better because it forced me into compassion over hate. The thing is…we don’t know what that other driver is going through. Maybe some people are careless or reckless out there on the road, but I feel better knowing I’m giving my fellow human beings the benefit of the doubt. Because I’ve been there too. We all make mistakes, experience close calls, and thank our lucky stars it didn’t end up worse than it was.
Compassion for Self
When I developed a deep appreciation for divine timing, I learned how to embody compassion for myself when I felt like I was running late and letting other people down. When I’m behind schedule, I will let people know who may be waiting for me, but that is the extent of my control over the situation. I always trust that I’m in the right place at the right time, and sometimes that means I’m running late according to my schedule. It is these moments that I try to slow down even more to truly take in everything along my journey, because I never know where my lessons will come from or what will pop up to appreciate along the way.
Compassion for Your Shadow
Last week, I witnessed someone holding a judgment about other people based on the way they looked…. a belief that tattoos are ugly. Now this is someone who voted for her and is on the “right” side of history in the present moment, and still harbors hatred for other people based on their choice to express themselves. It seemed so arbitrary to me, I almost couldn’t believe it. But it’s playing out everywhere. People feel aligned with beliefs that keep perpetuating a scenario that “I’m better than you,” because of whatever random judgment. It’s time to lay down your swords.
If you’re looking at another human being with judgment, the question to ask is why. Why does this bother me so much? We’re all connected, so whatever is triggering you in another person is a reflection of yourself that you need to look at. I can see right through people’s behavior to the root of the wounding, and in this case, the person who experienced hatred for tattoos has not found the power to express themself authentically in this lifetime, and seeing how freely people with tattoos flaunt their authenticity must be too much to accept.
Compassion Through the Process
I think I’ve been a mirror for most of my life. I can’t help but reflect the truth, and for this, I have been hated. Over time, I’ve learned how to soften my truth-telling to a degree. Less brutal honesty and more attempting to share compassionately what I can see. It’s only been in the last five years or so that I have come to realize I can see through the behavior right to the wounding. But let’s be real. While it’s clear looking at another person, the mirror is more cloudy when looking at my own reflection.
It takes practice and a willingness to do the work, but it starts within you. It’s never about someone else. This world is a magical place that provides every perfect opportunity to push your buttons and trip your triggers so you can examine them, learn, and grow. And as a bonus, the more you examine your darkest aspects, the more love and compassion you will feel for yourself. And the more love and compassion you can feel for yourself, the more you’ll have to share with the world. Because once you’ve looked at your own darkness, you’ll be more compassionate for the darkness others are facing as well.
