Sunday, 8 February 2015

Taking a pause: Empathy, Compassion & Mindfulness

First off I would like to preface this post by saying that in no way do I claim to have mastered these concepts nor do I think they can ever be fully mastered. With that being said, I am making a very conscious effort to evolve and make them a part of how I live my life every day.

source 
  • Empathy
  • Compassion
  • Mindfulness

Each of these things can come naturally or can be incredibly difficult depending on a myriad of factors present in your own mind or surrounding environment.

BUT I believe that if they are carefully cultivated they can enrich your life immeasurably.

Taking a moment to yourself to evaluate someone else’s perspective as well as your own reaction to a situation can make all the difference in the world.

Mindfulness, empathy and compassion require continual awareness of the fact that there is a bigger picture. Life is not just your direct experience. It’s not all about you.
EVERYONE has SOMETHING “going on”.

 Once you become presently aware of that fact it becomes much easier to take a pause and consider where someone is coming from, why they may be reacting in a particular way or doing / saying something. Everyone is raised differently, has had different experiences and will therefore process and react to things in a way that may be different from your own. This is okay and needs to be accepted.


Stop for a moment. Breathe. 
Become aware of your reaction & make the conscious decision to be positive.

Be present and remove judgement. 
Smile. Make more eye contact. 
Show others they have value.
You will be happier for it.

You would be shocked at the way you will be received by others and the level of comfort and emotional openness you can reach in all interpersonal relationships if you adopt this practice.

Self-reflection and personal growth is a never ending journey that just keeps getting better... Enjoy it!

love & light

-Katie

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