Compassion begins with awareness. Yet, awareness alone is not enough. To truly embody compassion, we must take the next step – connection, the bridge that transforms our awareness into meaningful action. It requires the belief that a person – whether a colleague, friend, or stranger – is worthy of our attention and care, what Monica Worline and Jane Dutton refer to as “interpreting generously.”
With computers in our pockets, colleagues at our doors, and shifting news cycles, information comes at us quickly. How much we can absorb, respond to, and act upon depends on our own awareness. Attention and awareness make up the first step to compassion – you can’t skip this step. You must first notice the challenges and suffering of another person or within a system before you can respond to it.
When was the last time you stepped outside and inhaled deeply? Perhaps you can recall a time you let your toes be tickled by grass, or stood in awe at the base of a mountain wall made of stone, craning your neck to see the blue sky. When was the last time gravel crunched under your feet, or a babbling brook laughed as it gurgled on by, while you sat, simply watching on stones nearby?
Learning to move past resistance, restraint, and roadblocks is a key part of personal and leadership development. Barriers to practicing our innate capacity for compassion can show up in many different ways. Let’s explore three barriers to compassion - distraction, judgment, and fear – and how we can intentionally move to the full expression of our compassionate nature.
The relationship between compassion and perceived time pressure has been known for a long time. From the well-known study, “From Jerusalem to Jericho” nearly fifty years ago, to our research with participants in our training cohorts, the feeling that there is not enough time impairs one’s ability to act compassionately. Ironically, the solution doesn’t come from working faster, but in slowing down.
Happy Earth Day 2021! Earth Day reminds us of the interconnection of everyone and everything, and the opportunity to reflect on how that profound wisdom can influence our lives and our leadership. Today, and every day, take a pause to acknowledge this amazing globe on which we live and the role we play in sustaining it.
Hearing is one of our five basic senses: we perceive an external sound via our ears. To listen, however, requires our attention. This practice helps us listen with presence, which is becoming a lost art in the backdrop of constant distractions, disconnection, and discontent. We offer this brief exercise to reignite our listening skills, crucial to effectively connect with others.
Every time you meet another person, you have an opportunity right from the start to influence the flow of your relationship. A positive greeting can quickly jumpstart an environment of flourishing. These three principles will help you establish as positive a relationship as possible from the first hello, wave, or elbow bump.
