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Once upon a time…
Abadah sat down, crossed legged on the cushion in front of the fire and took a deep breath of the crisp night air. The sky was clear and the stars were bright. ‘It is a beautiful night’ he thought, as he leaned back on a cedar tree and took a sweet sip of Jellab. A range of percussion instruments tinkled in the distance and the smell of dinner preparations brought his attention to the fact that he hadn’t eaten all day. He could see the kids spinning around, pretending to be whirling dervishes and he chuckled, feeling grateful for this moment. ‘Almost ready to barbecue’ he calculated.
Suddenly a snake fell right out of the tree and into the fire. Startled, but still in fine form, Abadah quickly reached in to save the snake. As his fingers grasped around the tail, the snake instantly bit him, causing excruciating pain. Abadah let out a yelp and his natural reflexes kicked in. He dropped the snake and it fell back into the fire. Quickly, he grabbed a metal pole, fetched the snake out of the fire, doused it in cold water and carried it to some nearby bushes to save its life.
Abadah’s cousin Malik heard the yelp and came to see if he was okay. “That snake bit you. Why are you still trying to save it?” Malik asked, concerned.
“The nature of the snake is to bite.” said Abadah, “As a human, I can control my response. I choose to not let the snake’s nature change my nature, which is to help.”
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.”
– Steve Maraboli
The most effective response to meanness is compassion. Where there is meanness, there is often a lot of pain. Fight fire with water by sending loving thoughts to the people who hurt you. This may seem counterintuitive, but it will make you feel much better. When we send well-wishes to the hurting people who want us to share their pain, we are able to rise above their suffering. In this way, we regain our true power. See mean people for what they really are – wounded, tiny, lacking in skill or imagination, and probably threatened. After all, it is only when mean people are actually happy and free from suffering that they stop trying to take us down with them.
Choose to be the one who forgives when a deep offense has been committed. The one who loves when everyone else has abandoned. Be the one who shows kindness to those who are mean. Be the one who looks past the insult and sees the pain which motivated the nasty, mean-spiritedness. Choose to be the one who shines a light upon those who sit in utter darkness. By choosing to be the one who rises above whatever people and circumstances present, you elevate healing to the wounded, joy to the sorrowful, and inspiration to those in despair.
“When compassion wakes up in us, we find ourselves more willing to become vulnerable, to take the risk of entering the pain of others.”
– Sue Monk Kidd
As my concern for others deepens, my life becomes more fulfilling in every way. The world needs my compassion! Every day my kindness makes a difference, even when that difference is only for me. Today I honour, expand, and share the compassion that lives inside me. Seeking to understand others is a high priority for me, and I practice this feeling every day. I am committed to improving my corner of the world by demonstrating kindness whenever I can. As I focus on loving-kindness, I naturally relate to others with love and understanding. As a member of our global community, I extend my compassion to everyone. Compassion is a force of nature that transforms everyone it touches. All that I give to others comes back to me in ways I cannot even begin to imagine. I always encourage others to elevate. I make time to acknowledge people and always thank them for their kindness. I speak my truth from the heart. I believe in a future filled with love and understanding. By raising my vibration, I raise the vibration of those around me.
“Compassion is more important than intellect in calling forth the love that the work of peace needs, and intuition can often be a far more powerful searchlight than cold reason.”
– Betty Williams
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