Wrapping Yourself in Compassion
Compassion is ability to have mercy, to sympathize and to acknowledge ones pain.
Many of us have compassion for others and what they are going through and with no question will be there to support them. We care about their pain, hurt, frustration and despair. WE want to know what it will take to make them better; we sympathize with them and will even mirror their emotions.
Our compassion for others is a beautiful expression but it far outweighs the compassion that we have for ourselves. Is it because the action of giving is more pleasurable than that of receiving?
How are we so quick to jump to aid another and we haven’t even taken care of self? Even in the plane they say, “If we lose cabin pressure, masks will drop. Please put your mask on before that of another.” WHY? Because if YOU cant breathe, how can you help someone else in the best way! LET THAT SIT IN…
Have you ever thought about how important it is to have that same amount of empathy for yourself when you are feeling down and out, sad, frustrated, having flashbacks of trauma, anxiety or simply feeling lonely?
Have you thought about the importance of listening to your feelings, acknowledging your pain or struggles and allowing yourself to “feel” and let others empathize with you?
Sadly, most of us hold on to what we feel, set them aside and go about our day pretending to be happy. Walking around with a smile on our face but sadness and pain in our hearts. OR we otherwise are potting around and inevitably treating people as if they are the roots to OUR problem. When all in all we are truly just not letting ourselves FEEL emotion.
WHY? Why aren’t we being compassionate with ourselves?
I wish I could answer this for you but I can’t. It is something you have to truly look in the mirror and sort out HONESTLY but I do think:
We should be able to say to ourselves, “It is ok that I’m feeling this emotion, it is ok if I cry, it is ok that I want to go to the top of the mountain and scream out, it is ok that I need this day to myself, IT IS OK!” Because IT IS OK! How would we ever release the pain, anger or sadness if we don’t DEAL with it head on? It is impossible.
We often times figure that our emotions are not valid, this IS A LIE! Everything that we feel are valid emotions and to be dealt with accordingly. We live in a world where there is so much “noise” around us we are bond to feel. Many of us has had hardships growing up, difficulty understanding who we are, what we want, how to start, how to move forward and so much more.. ALL of that is a lot to bear.
I say all this to say, we must nourish our feelings and ourselves. We must be compassionate enough with ourselves in knowing that we can get better if we deal with ourselves FIRST. We are WORTHY of our OWN compassion!
TRY…
Wrapping your arms around yourself and saying, “I LOVE YOU!”
Taking a good look in the mirror and say “I AM… WORTHY, ABLE, SMART, BEAUTIFUL, LOVING, LOVABLE, A CHAMPION, A SURVIVOR, I AM GREAT!”
Taking at least 10 minutes out of your day meditating or just in silence allowing yourself to just breathe deep and reflect before you start your day.
Work on something that you are extremely passionate about for at least an hour
AND BE COMPASSIONATE with EVERYTHING you feel!
“Since compassionate acts flow from compassionate persons, we are not surprised to learn that compassion is constitutive of God's very being”
Have a beautiful day!
~Brianna Michelle
