TEALarbor stories’ Monday Musings are quotes, poems, & practices
offering simple ways to explore the ecotone of the inner/outer landscape.
On the
occasional fifth Monday of the month, my offering takes the shape of a globally-sustaining
practice: something that benefits all
beings.
The
Practice is: Being Compassionate
TEALarbor
stories
is a partner with the Charter for Compassion (http://charterforcompassion.org)
and
works locally and globally to foster a more loving, friendly, tolerant world. I
have just completed my curriculum for the Charter for Compassion Education Institute
(http://www.charterforcompassion.org/index.php/component/k2/item/297-the-charter-for-compassion-education-institute); the title
of the course is A Natural History of Compassion: Growing Tenderness for
Self and Other via Writing and Ecology.
Feeling
compassion and behaving compassionately grow from the seed of gratitude. We
need to nurture compassion for ourselves in order to augment compassion in the
world. In celebration of this shared commitment, here are twenty-five simple
ways you and I can be more compassionate today.
Do
random acts of kindness.
Refrain
from self-deprecating remarks.
Find
something we have in common with someone we dislike.
Take
one thing off our to-do list.
Do
a kind deed completely anonymously.
Reach
out to a loved one.
Pet
an animal.
Plant
a tree.
Write
a thank you note.
Make
some beauty (art, music, a meal, gardening).
Sit
silently for fifteen minutes.
Pause
before saying something urgent.
Pray
for somebody.
Pray
for ourselves.
Finish
a project.
Join
a group.
Dance,
sing, write, play an instrument, recite a poem - for somebody else.
Clean
up a mess that bothers those around us.
Learn
one truth about a culture, faith tradition, or region different from our own.
Smile
at a stranger.
Drive
within the speed limit.
Let
somebody in line behind us go first.
Extend
a compliment.
Listen
to somebody carefully.
Put
away our phone when we’re out in public.
Thank
you for joining in this vital endeavor! May you feel loved as you extend love...
All blog images created & photographed by Jennifer J. Wilhoit unless otherwise noted. Please circulate images with photo credit: "©2016 JenniferJWilhoit/TEALarbor stories. AllRightsReserved."
