Today, I am a proud part of something that
is sweeping the blogosphere.
It began with one writer
discussing her need, her desire for emotional and physical support her in
adulthood…lamenting how that proverbial Village disappears as
we transition from childhood to adolescence and then into that Grown-Up state.
One of my greatest supporters, a writer
whom I’ve never met and don’t even know her name, suggested this event to me
and me to the organizers.
Live by Surprise often brings me
pleasant surprises like this, what first began as an expected, albeit most
timely, positive comment on one of my posts.
And then another, and another, and another…
Liv, as I’ve come to think of her, is one
of my village’s chiefs, a leader who seems to be everywhere, watching, encouraging,
nudging, and providing a strong, silent sort of embrace, just when I need it.
Thank you, Liv.
As my crazy week has unfolded, this
#1000Speak for compassion event has been in the back of my mind.
Numerous ideas have come and gone…
Now, as the time is upon me, I sit at my
desk, tired, exhausted, a little bit stressed about this speech I’m going to
rehearse in a few short hours and then present in front of nearly two-hundred
people in two days…
My head pounded and my eyes throbbed in
their sockets as I opened this file, and all I could think about was that if I
didn’t get this post written, I’d be missing this window of opportunity, I’d be
letting down the people who believed in me, in my ability to write about
compassion, how I live compassion, and what compassion means to me.
The #1000Speak homepage lists one
definition of compassion as the “sympathetic pity and concern for the
sufferings or misfortunes of others.”
A few other thoughts they list on the
subject include “kindness, love, caring, non-judgment, self-love.”
Pardon me for a second while I do a little
jig because I just noticed the global date for this live event is February 20…which
means the universe has just gifted me with another thirty hours to write, edit,
and post this piece!
Shit…pardon my French,
but I feel better already!
Okay…I’m back…a little more rested, and a
little less stressed about tomorrow’s speech.
Beauty and her college roommate came in
late last night to attend the speaking event. Today I treated us all to
manicures. I have horribly brittle nails that are constantly splitting and
tearing, so I indulged in some lengthening gel nails.
Self-love. What Pam Luttrell
and I would call an act that says I Matter.
That’s the part of compassion I want to
talk about today.
So many of us spend a great deal of time
offering compassion to others. We offer forgiveness, understanding, patience,
empathy, love.
We pardon their trespasses, accept their
flaws, love without judgment, we hold space and offer hugs when times are
tough.
We console, reassure, encourage, and lift
up those in our lives.
And we do these things completely and with
the greatest of kindnesses.
But when it comes to our self?
Too often we chastise our mistakes, loathe
our faults, judge our middle-aged bellies and laugh-lines, and we pressure
ourselves to be Super Human.
Counselor Hank used to call it The Hammer. “Put down the hammer, Annah,”
he’d say when I wasn’t treating myself with the same courtesies I afford
others.
I’ve share that analogy with so many others
in an effort to encourage them to exercise personal compassion.
I have to work very hard to remember to
remind myself.
But I’m getting better at it, Journeyer.
You see, I’ve learned that when we don’t fill ourselves up with compassion,
there is much less of it to go around.
As we visit our neighboring tribes in the
coming days, please let’s remember that we, too, are a member of the village
and that we deserve the same considerations and compassions we afford others…
Let us honor the I in compassion…
Until we meet again, yours in hope,
healing, and happiness,
~AE
So glad you were able to join in - I knew you'd have the perfect post.
ReplyDeleteHow did the speech go?
{blushing} honored...
DeleteThe speech went great! Thanks for asking!! :) About 175 people and the biggest crowd I've spoken in front of, so happy to be inspiring more and more neighbors. :)
Haven't had a chance to read the wonderful compassion posts, but you're at the top of my list when I have a chance to sit down and read! Hope you're well and warm!! xoxo
I love when the universe moves like that and sudddenly the pressure to write is not quite so great. I couldn't agree more with the fact that we need to have compassion for ourselves. The more I have "found myself" so to speak and become more and more okay with who I truly am the more I have been able to be compassionate to others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by and for leaving a comment! So happy you are able to "find yourself" and fill up on compassion! Such a beautiful gift we can give to ourselves!
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