November 2nd, 2018

“My thoughts you may keep. They have only failed me. Given to such a simple man, all these thoughts I’m yet to understand. I wish I could give them away, I really do! Or train them to serve me better so that I may better serve you. The world I try to see it, from a bird’s-eye like view. I see myself a mirrored reflection that I see in all of you. Would you tell me how you fake it?  Please I’d love to try that too! I can never stop myself from thinking but for you I’ll play the fool.” ~Anonymous 

Once upon a time, before life so rudely awakened me, I would never think about my own death. I thought I could remain forever young. When my life was still alive with dreams and I thought the whole wide world was supposed to be here to love me. I had always lived my life in the fashion of “live fast, die young” and “I’ll get all the sleep I need after I die” type mentality.  It seems that a lot of this was a big, naive mistake. And when my time does eventually come one day, I want to be able to look back at a life better lived and a life that was lived through grace. So now that I am awake I want to know what happened to our sense of humanity? Why do we act like we’re not all just one race? Please tell me I’m not alone here, in all that I have seen. I know I’m not the brightest, but I trust that my heart feels what it has felt and that my eyes see what they have seen. I hope I am not losing your focus here of what it is I think needs brought into light. It is something we all can sure use a whole lot more of, at least I know I can. And it is something that is already inside us, but so very hard for us to use it on ourselves. In fact I don’t think it is something that can be used selfishly. It only may be shared with others. Given to others if you may. This allows us to feel in ourselves what it is I think a lot of us want to be able to experience more of in their life. Any guesses here of what it is I am referring to? What it is I am trying to express I feel the world needs more of? Well let me tell you than…it has to be more money! Right? What else were you expecting? We can throw some at fighting the loneliness that so many feel in the world today. Use some to solve the world’s current mental health crisis that continues to increase. And how bout as far as putting it to work on creating world peace for the first time in all our human history. Are you picking up on my sarcasm here?  I know money of course can’t solve these problems I mentioned, even if it did play a part in creating them. But here is what I honestly feel can fix these issues and possible change our entire perspectives of the world. It is quite simply Compassion.

Compassion helps build strength

Did you know that by either showing genuine compassion to someone or to just feel sorry for someone greatly increases the person’s chances of successful recovery when done with the former. Do you know why? Because you will see the former here, which is compassion, is an expression or act of strength and self-empowerment. It is acknowledging the situation and expressing your support to help the person recover from situation or life event. It also, which I think is key here, allows the individual to own up to fixing the issue without the fear of feeling shamed. As opposed to the later, which was to feel sorry for someone, which I feel will show to do the opposite. Right off the bat you feel like lesser of a person when you know people around you are feeling sorry for you. Causes the person to lose a connection to those around them and see themselves as separate from the rest of the world around them. They will feel they are all alone. And while we continue to show pity, all they want is someone to show they can relate. Instead of strengthening by allowing them to own and conquer this obstacle, they will be turned into a victim dependant upon others.

Now here is what’s really cool!

   So one last thing I’d like to share here before I end my thoughts for the night on compassion. That is that compassion is something that can work for you just by using it yourself. I think we could all benefit from feeling more compassion within our lives. It is one of those things that you end up getting by giving. Giving another person your compassion will automatically make you feel the relief of compassion within yourself. It will happen instantly every time! If you don’t believe me than I dare you to  go try it! I double-dog dare you! And besides, since you can’t express compassion for yourself without it looking to other people like you are only feeling sorry for yourself, what else are you going to do with all the stuff? Use it! Be nice to everyone you meet. If you can’t be nice at least be civil. We are all part of the same race living together here. It’s the best race that I could ever imagine being part of. It is the human race and every single one of us shines with our own original beauty! We all share the same emotions, dreams and desires. Breathe the same air and look up at the same sky. We have been given the chance to see that we are all much more alike than we’ve ever before had the chance to see. And well since seeing is still believing…I see a world that is made out of all which are my brothers and sisters! Keep planting the seeds of love and compassion for the rich future that lays ahead for us all!

© 2018 Rocco Joseph https://rockinthefreeword.com