Compassion is an integral part of our life. But what does compassion mean? According to Webster Dictionary, compassion is a ‘sympathetic consciousness of others ‘distress together with a desire to alleviate it.’ From the Latin roots, compassion means ‘to suffer with. ‘When you are compassionate, you are able to be present with suffering without getting overwhelmed. It’s empathy plus action.
It‘s safe to consider that most people are suffering in some way or other and therefore everyone is a candidate for compassion. Practicing compassion strengthens relationships, creates communities and fosters world peace. The greatest degree of inner tranquillity comes from love and compassion. If we look with a compassionate attitude, our perspective on each new obstacle can be seen as an opportunity to develop sympathy for others difficulties and thus help to remove their pain. This will ultimately increase our own serenity and inner strength.
Practicing compassion is an important element of our life and hence compassionate leadership is needed in the family, among friends and at the workplace.
People are facing more ambiguity in day-to-day tasks. They also feel the pressure to keep up with changes in their personal and professional lives. As a leader, both empathetic and compassionate qualities are of paramount importance such as good intentions and focusing on good behaviour. This can avoid unnecessary friction and maintain better dynamic relationships.
For compassion, the change starts within and we become more compassionate in the way we think, feel, and act. It’s a positive feedback loop. We become better at helping and serving others, and everyone benefits, which result in an amiable atmosphere. Here are some of the ways to be compassionate towards others:
Humility: Stop feeling superior to others and get rid of pride. Accept your mistakes and learn to forgive people. If there’s humility in your heart, it would be easier for you to be compassionate towards others.
Listening: Have a patient consideration when people talk to you. Understand their messages which they want to convey and the situations they are going through. Compassion is all about awareness and not ignorance.
Unselfishness: Place your happiness in the happiness of others. Instead of just thinking and caring for yourself, start caring for others. Put yourself in others’ shoes.
Sharing: Stop being bitter and jealous when others are enjoying success. Be part of their celebration and encourage them. It shows that you care about someone about their wins and it’s important to show that in your actions.
Kindness: Feel the heart of another and understand their joy or pain so that you may give them happiness either by making them happy or by helping them get out of misery.
Forgiveness: Do not ignore the harm and sufferings you have inflicted on others. Forgive and help people to heal the wounds you caused them, and making them smile again.
Judgment: Stop being judgmental towards others. Instead of finding flaws in others, find something good in them. Don’t criticize their shortcomings and find out ways to help them.
As Pope Francis says on Compassion, “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”
Let compassion be the way of life to make this world a better place.
