I’m taking a summer writing break and posting notes I wrote a while back – this one from 5 years ago. We need more compassion now – here are some thoughts.
I love those moments when you think you know something or someone and a new piece of information changes your understanding. It is especially profound when you move from judgement to compassion. Learning to see things from the wise mind, the heart as well as the mind’s eye, is a deliberate step into your intuitive intelligence. Seeing with compassion is what makes a smart person a wise person.
Two events last week bring this to mind. They actually are in contrast to one another, which is why I want to highlight them. The first event was a training and consultation I provided. The second was the passage of Indiana Senate Bill 101 granting “religious freedom restoration”.
In the first event, I had the honor of conducting Trauma Informed Care training and consultation for the GAINS Center in Virginia. This training, developed for public officials working in law enforcement, courts, corrections and mental health, helps increase the understanding of the impact of trauma.
There is a strong correlation between someone’s current and past trauma history and subsequent mental health and criminal justice involvement. Why is a person using drugs or reacting to situations with aggression? Often it is a survival tactic related to a history of abuse or trauma. They are numbing the pain with drugs or reacting to perceive threat with aggression. Not that this excuses or dismisses unlawful behavior or public safety concerns. It simply provides a perspective that can generate a more compassionate and helpful response.
When people are pigeon holed with criminal charges, DSM 5 diagnosis and sanctions, the reason for their behavior can be lost. The labels of these classification systems create an unintended prejudice that perpetuates shame. By stepping out of these boxes, to see and respond to a person through a lens of compassionate understanding, things begin to shift. By giving people respect, they are more apt to respond positively. Interventions begin to work. It’s uplifting to be part of a solution rather than perpetuating a cycle of judgement and punishment.
Now, in contrast, we have Indiana’s passage of a piece of legislation that sanctions pejorative judgement. By framing it as restoration of religious freedom, this act potentially authorizes discrimination and restriction of individual rights.
It is the antithesis of compassion. It’s a step backwards, opening up a well of prejudice that is barely under the surface. The hostility, fear, and continued judgment it will likely generate is a disheartening. The opponents to this legislation are stepping forward. They are the people who see from the heart as well as the mind’s eye – the wise ones. I place my confidence in them.
These forces of judgement are played out for each of us internally too. How do you think about yourself?
Do you understand yourself with intuitive intelligence? Do you view yourself with respect and compassion from your wise mind? Do you make sense of your own intentions and actions so you can move forward with freedom and confidence? Or do you judge and hold yourself hostage with internal prejudice or standards that are impossible to meet?
You can either give yourself the freedom to live joyously or hold yourself back in fear and judgement. If you’d like to explore this for yourself, reach out to www.spectrumtransformation.com and use my Free Consultation link to reach me. I’d love to hear from you.
*The painting is by my dear friend, Camilla B. Armstrong from Montgomery, AL, entitled Servant’s Dance
#seewithcompassion #livewithcompassion #trustyourpath #liveonpurpose #livealifeyoulove #purposefullife #contentment #livewithintention #downtime #embracechange #contentmentinlife #contentmentwithin #purposefulliving #youareworthy #fillyourcup #personalgrowth #liveyourbestlife #dontsettle #gogetit #worksmarter #empoweringothers #mindsetgrowth #thinkbigger #happinessishandmade #choosehappiness #lifepurpose #projecthappiness
