Intro to Compassion

Compassion (from Latin: "co-suffering") is a virtue —one in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy (for the suffering of others) are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnectedness and humanism —foundational to the highest principles in philosophy, society, and personhood.

Compassion for others creates connectedness. When we can begin looking at everyone with more compassion, we then realize that we are all on this planet together. I think many people forget that the world doesn't revolve around them or their schedule. We all rise to the same sun and fall asleep under the same moon.

When we were kids, we were taught that strangers were to be feared, avoided, distrusted. "Don't talk to strangers" translated to "Strangers are bad". People aren't strangers to be avoided or faceless robots. They are single moms, someone's grandpa, a little girls' daddy, your new best friend, a lonely man without a home or a family, maybe an elderly woman who has to go back to work after she thought she had gotten to retire. Everyone is connected in some way. Everyone has a story, too. I really became aware of this in Los Angeles. In the vast array of people, I had to find a way to cope with the mass of traffic and crowds. I had to find a way to see this giant maze as something more personal. Even the simple act of letting someone in front of you at the grocery store who has less in their basket than you do is a first step in the right direction of compassion and understanding. If any of you have driven in a big city, we all know how frustrating it can be when other drivers don't let us in their lane, cut us off, etc merely out of principal. Dallas drivers are notorious for this kind of behavior. We have probably done this before, too. Don't allow yourself to do this. This behavior creates anger and only perpetuates the cycle. Again, we must remember, we are all in this crazy, beautiful, confusing, magnificent, cruel world together. Once we realize that everyone has that right, we won't feel so entitled to being the center of the universe.

Happiness 101

Don't wait for happiness until you have: A better job, more money, lose weight, buy a house, sell your house, a partner, graduate college, pay off debts, etc. It is always a good time to be happy. We can choose to be happy if we are open to change our perspective and heighten our awareness. Don't wait for happiness to be attached to a tangible thing or based on "progress". Happiness and joy are not attached to goals or things. Our lives are fleeting and we are gone in such a short time. Life is for enjoying in the now, not for climbing and searching for happiness in these cookie jars we've created.

The Glass is Already Broken.

"One day some people came to the master and asked: How can you be happy in a world of such impermanence, where you cannot protect your loved ones from harm, illness or death? The master held up a glass and said: Someone gave me this glass; It holds my water admirably and it glistens in the sunlight. I touch it and it rings! One day the wind may blow it off the shelf, or my elbow may knock it from the table. I know this glass is already broken, so I enjoy it -- incredibly". -Achaan Chah Subato

The thing with life is that, we are already gone before we've had enough time to get comfy. Everyone in our lives, whether here for a moment or for many years, should be cherished as if they are already gone. It's so easy to take others for granted but if we stop for a moment and become more aware of the delicacy of life and quickness of time, we can live better in the now and enjoy our people --incredibly.

Josh Ritter...again.

I've just found out that Josh Ritter is coming back to Dallas in February. I couldn't be more excited about this, especially since I thought I might have to shell out some major dough to see him in either DC or Philly in Feb. If you've never seen Josh Ritter or even heard of him, I encourage you to check out his music (especially if you are a fan of great folk sounds and excellent song writing). I was first introduced to their music in LA by a dear friend of mine who seems to have impeccable taste for music all around. At first, I was skeptical but Josh had me at "If this was the cold war we could keep each other warm..." I think it was the first time in my life I had been truly moved at a concert, not to mention a concert from a band I had never invested any real time listening to. He is by far in a league of his own. A best kept secret, a diamond in the rough. I am counting the days until accessibility to Josh and his band at such venues as the Granada Theater for $24 per ticket is obsolete.

Josh Ritter, at the Granada Theater in Dallas. Feb 28th, 2011. What a great way to begin 2011.

Your Inner Voice Offers The Best Advice

We have all found ourselves in sticky situations where it feels like it's going to be harder to walk away than we give ourselves credit for. It is in those moments when we need to let our body and mind go into "auto pilot" and just start walking. It takes a lot of guts to fully trust our instincts at times but I must tell you, that gut feeling is your other self, the self that is not attached to the feelings, the emotions, the fears. It is the voice of reason, the same voice we'd use to give a friend or family member advice. Don't argue with it or try to reason with it. Trust it. Don't think for even a second that you're making the wrong choice. Whenever you feel uncomfortable, uneasy, alarmed or whatever negative reaction you're experiencing, it is your natural, built-in defense mechanism that is urging you to move for your own safety, whether physical, mental or emotional. Moving away without fear is hard sometimes but you must trust that your best interests are in mind, even if they are coming from within. Nobody knows you better than yourself and nobody knows what you need, or don't need, better than you.