Hovering around the Sun, Avoiding the Center

Weblog

An Exercise in Empathy and Compassion

by David on 11.28.07 — Comments (1)

Have you ever been in a situation where someone looked miserable, discouraged, mad, or somehow they just annoyed you? Have you then asked yourself, what is their problem or… why can’t they merely enjoy life instead of being such a “downer”? Well, in all honesty, I have (once or twice ;). Whether it’s someone in traffic who is honking and swearing or someone in the market who’s zooming past everyone with an angry look on his or her face, it can be easy for me to fall into judgment about them.

One of our Quotes

Light and Dark

The most enlightened people in the world embrace their full potential of light and dark. When you’re with people who recognize and own their negative qualities, you never feel judged by them. It’s only when people see good and bad, right and wrong, as qualities outside themselves that judgments occur.

- Deepak Chopra

Assume the Best

Assume the best intentions of others before jumping to the negative conclusion. It’s amazing how much this simple shift can help any relationship. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we shouldn’t be skeptical at times. The lack of skepticism could lead to it’s own set of problems. But if we look for the positive first, many unnecessary confrontations can be prevented before they ever start.

by David

small things