Far too much emotional energy is put into finding fault with the person we are. Blame and shame sit in the spaces that should be occupied by pride and contentment.
We are who we are and we are where we are because of everything that has happened to us and through us in the past. We are at this very moment in time because that is where we are supposed to be.
Change is always possible. Planning and forward-thinking are important. But, for now, all we have is now.
That’s where compassion is so vitally important. To be compassionate is to empathise with someone who is suffering and to feel compelled to reduce that suffering.
While we see the suffering around us we feel the suffering within. And yet rarely do we show the same compassion to ourselves as we are willing to show to friends, family members and strangers.
We ignore our own hurting heart to our detriment. A hurting heart creates anxiety and anxiety leads to depression.
To gain the knowledge, strength and compulsion to look at that which is around us we must first look at that which is within.
A good starting point is to write out a list of everyone we love. Examine the list. Where have we written our own name?
Compassion for others is important. Compassion for self is essential.
Gary Bentley Counselling 