practice and spread acceptance, understanding and compassion

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
The Dalai Lama

A non-judgemental attitude is a must here. Not easy really but possible with practice, I’m sure. When I judge others, I quickly give myself a quick talking to and ask myself, what do my opinions matter in the given situation? I find that it is all too easy to judge and much harder to consciously have an attitude of acceptance, understanding and compassion. I will keep working on this one and hopefully in time subdue my ego…

If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete. The Buddha

http://www.43things.com/things/view/2101694/be-mindful-grateful-compassionate-and-constructive

This goal of mine has matured into the above new goal. I am still practising acceptance, understanding and compassion. I am finding that mindfulness helps with acceptance and understanding and leads to gratitude, compassion and constructivity.

I asked for some old photos of myself and my brother when we were children. Looking through them with her made me feel sad, sad for all sorts of reasons. I saw pictures of her when younger and felt that she must have had hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled. I really felt compassion for her… As a mother myself I know how much joy and sadness motherhood can bring, we are not close and that must be painful for her and maybe unbelievable at times. How can you give birth, feed, clothe and love (in whatever form) and then end up with no family around you? My brother has passed, my dad too so that just leaves me and her… I have used this goal to practise all these things with others in the world but if I am honest I don’t think I’ve used it with her. It feels difficult and she drives me nuts when she attempts to manipulate me and so I just cut off and detach myself more. I guess I need to find the balance between compassion and guilt, which is which? It is sometimes hard to know when dealing with emotions. However, I will strive to practise and spread acceptance, understanding and compassion with my mum whenever possible…

That is my Mantra for this goal, and will continue to be….EVERY day.

Yesterday I felt proud to be an Australian. If you read what I wrote here and follow the relevant links, you’ll understand why.

at all times.

I think it is equally important to accept, understand and show compassion to myself as it is to accept, understand and show compassion to others.

The heart of this goal is that we are all human and need to accept our shortcomings as well as our strengths.