Compassion: Why We Need It

‘Cultivating compassion begins with self-compassion. … Compassion cannot truly be offered to others until we first offer it to ourselves.’- Janice Marturano

Life is not linear. Things happen. Don’t fight what you are going through in your life. All you can do is be open to where it is taking you.

Be kind to yourself. Do not beat yourself up. Nothing is about you. Do not make things all about you. That is not what self-compassion is about. Self-compassion is about love, care, and respect.

Compassion is good because it ‘reminds us that when we see someone suffering, we are separated from the sufferer by only the thinnest lines of time and circumstance, and we feel a pull to lessen the suffering. … It helps us to understand the interconnections among us. It encourages us to become involved with the well-being of those around us.’

If you want to build a great community, don’t forget those around you. Love them. Treat them with respect. And support them. And they will always support you.

Don’t Wait To Be Treated With Respect

Don’t wait for people to treat you with respect. Whatever it is that you want from other people, you must give it out. Be the first person to love people, to respect people, and to treat people with dignity.

Nothing is free. If you want love, then give love to others. If you want to be treated with respect, then treat others with respect. And it will come back to you.

According to Gregg Ward, ‘Be the first to respect. Don’t wait to be treated with respect before being respectful. Be the first to treat everyone you meet, even perfect strangers, with respect.’