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At his most helpless and vulnerable moment, actor Christopher Reeve said, “Even when you’re really needy, you’ve got to give more than you receive.” Being compassionate means being sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. The more you struggle, the more you hope that people will appreciate your situation. If you hope for compassion from others, you have to be willing to give it yourself. And if you’re honest, the needs of others are probably greater than your own. That means you probably should be reaching out with more kindness than you want for yourself. It’s hard to consider other people’s feelings and needs when you’re burdened you’re your own troubles. Disappointment, pain, loss—these things have a way of focusing your mind on your own situation. It causes you to think about what you need from others, not what they need from you. The more you need support, the more you appreciate that others need it, too. Every time you think about your own problems, remember that everyone is challenged differently. You know that it’s not realistic to expect others to be considerate and giving if you aren’t that way yourself. Let your heart go out to others. Do what you can to help. If you can do that, and if others do that, there’s hope for a caring world. It’s hard to consider other people’s needs and distress when you’re burdened you’re your own troubles. Disappointment, pain, loss—these things have a way of focusing your mind on your own situation. People are so different from each other that communication, appreciation and tolerance are difficult. When imperfect people act imperfectly, their behavior can be irritating. They can be thoughtless and careless, and when someone else wrongs you, your first instinct is to strike back. It’s hard to keep in mind that this is just another imperfect human being, who feels pain just like you. Also, your neighbors’ challenges are different from yours; there’s always more to it than meets the eye, and it’s hard to understand their situation. You need compassion, and others need it from you. Though it may be challenging, it's important to do the hard things and be compassionate anyway.
Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com
Dennis E. Coates is CEO of Performance Support Systems, author of MindFrames, a brain-based personality assessment system (www.initforlife.com) and co-founder of the Train-to-Ingrain alliance (www.train-to-ingrain.com, info@train-to-ingrain.com, 800-488-6463), which delivers a reinforcement-centered approach to learning and development that achieves permanent, measurable improvements in workplace behavior and positive impacts on business results.
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