Compassion

Compassion: the third key pillar to living a good life

Compassion is good for us. Very good.

Compassion is not limited to our feelings for others. It starts with how we feel about ourselves.

Many of us judge ourselves too harshly. Rather than self-criticism it is far healthier to treat ourselves with more kindness and acceptance. It’s a very important part of physical and emotional wellbeing.

Beyond the self, compassion for others (‘suffering with’) is an innate human quality. It is hard-wired into our early brain development and helps us to build strong bonds, friendships and relationships. It’s an emotional and logical connection with living things around us.

It often takes courage and resilience to connect with true compassion: it somehow seems to render us vulnerable but true compassion is a most authentic feeling.

To discuss compassion as part of a holistic approach to individual and team wellbeing, give us a call. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What is compassion? Here are some questions to get you going

Q. When something goes wrong, or you believe you’ve done something wrong, what self-judgements do you make? If you were your best friend, what kind of message might you give yourself instead? How does it feel to be kinder to yourself?
Q. When you see someone struggling and suffering how do you feel? In what ways can you translate those feelings into positive action?