After nine days of vacation I am back. I didn’t plan on taking a break from blogging, but it happened anyway. Actually I took a break from the internet and I have to say it was very eye-opening. Yesterday I had such an “AH HA!!!” moment I almost fell out of my chair. The internet stresses me out. Actually Facebook stresses me out.

First it isn’t all the time or everyone, but there it is. When I really look at what is making me grind my teeth I have determined it is the lack of compassion. See FB is interesting to me as people assume that everyone that they friend holds the same beliefs that they do. I am just as guilty of it, but I have learned to take a step back and remember compassion. FB is also a great place to look at world issues on a micro scale. Or that is how I view it.

Compassion. It is such an easy word but hard concept. Have you ever stopped and really thought about compassion? What it takes to show compassion to ourselves and others? I have and I have therapy to thank for it. I have always been really good at compassion for others but not myself. Don’t get me wrong I have been in that place where if you disagreed with me my compassion went missing. Now that doesn’t happen. It can’t due to what I have learned.

There is a downside though. Now when I am hit in the face with examples of people’s inability to be compassionate to others it kills me. So often this comes out over the stupidest things and yet they are cruel. The part that I find so hurtful is that this often occurs because of folks fear to step out of their bubble and view situations from others point of view. To stop and think before making comments or, one of my favorites, making blanket statements. You know the ones that go something like “All people with (fill in the blank) are idiots”. I see this and discovered is that this needless pain hurts. It hurts the people involved and to be honest I feel like I have been kicked in the head and heart. It makes me want to curl in to a ball and cry for those involved.

So I have a request for everyone. Stop and think before you speak/write/tweet. We don’t know who is reading what we put out there. Remember that we are all different with different life experiences. Show some compassion and be surprised how much you receive in return.

Peace and blessings.