Towards a More Compassionate World

As a mental health professional, I have the privilege of talking to people every day who grapple with the challenges of abusive childhoods, domestic violence, addiction, age, disease and isolation. There are many dimensions to this work, but a theme that comes up again and again is compassion. Lack of compassion from parents and teachers creates and sustains severe emotional pain in children. Lack of self-compassion is a universal experience for those who were deprived of necessary care and nurturing during childhood. Fortunately, healing is possible.

Many people, even those in developed nations, still lack basic life-sustaining resources. Others have their basic physical needs met while their emotional needs are neglected. Politics, religion and culture divide us. Racism and discrimination remain, despite efforts to eradicate them. The world is becoming more complex and increasingly difficult to navigate. But there is good news. There are everyday heroes among us who are working hard to address the issues our society is facing. The resilience of the human spirit is unrelenting. We have faced and overcome so many difficulties in the past that it is more than reasonable to believe we will do so again. What that process looks like and how it will unfold remains to be seen, but it is certain that compassion will play a key role.

What is needed in society mirrors what is needed by the individual. Can we show ourselves compassion for our human flaws? Can we forgive ourselves for falling short of our ideals? Can we calm the war within and thereby bring peace to our families, communities and the world? By allowing compassion to penetrate the protective walls we have built around our aching hearts, I believe we can create the possibility for a different kind of world.