Tagged: compassion
What to Do When the World Doesn’t Get You
“Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” ~Pema Chödrön
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a little different, defiantly so.
I was that child who never liked cartoons. I was nicknamed “the little …
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8 True Traits of a Strong Mom
We’re not talking “Tiger Mom” here, where intense focus is directed at excellence in child performance. Rather, what signs indicate maternal prowess that is, simply put, strong? Buy an “Intelligence is sexy” t-shirt! I confess to bias. I think more often than not, “strong Mom” or “strong woman” is, well, redundant. Still, I’m curious to discover common behaviors that inform parenting rich with core values. Some maternal influence that cultivates character. So let’s call them instead, “ mindful Moms”, present, far from perfect, compelled by Mama Love. 1. Mindful Moms have confidence in themselves, and naturally encourage the unique individual within
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6 Ways Heartache Pain and Loss Can Make You Better
Not long ago my Mom passed. Unexpectedly, 2 short weeks later, my younger brother joined her. Bereft, I was suddenly adrift, my moorings gone. How to belong in a world with mother and brother sized holes? Sleepless, I walked, and walked. Or, crashed for 8, 10, 12 hours. Grief morphed into guilt, anger, cynicism, bewilderment. Socially inept, I lay low. In my brother’s flannel shirt, I curled under Mom’s soft brown throw and convulsed with tears. Each salt trail marked a sacred path, a new road named “Goodbye.” Buy an “Intelligence is sexy” t-shirt! I moved furniture, rearranged with neurotic
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Your Body Isn’t Perfect – Neither is Mine, Judging Isn’t the Answer!
We as humans have a strong tendency to judge each other’s differences. There are all types of people in the world, but most important of all, we each carry the same stuff inside. If you’re that perfect, cast out the 1st stone and see who judges you for once.
There’s no such thing (as told in the media) as a perfect body, perfect looks, perfect mind, or perfect personality. When you think about the body, it contains; bacteria, toxins, acid in the stomach, and other nasty stuff. All of which are not considered “beautiful”. As a person who’s body has been against me since I was born, I truly understand what beauty really means.
Not matter your body type, looks, height, weight, colour, are all perfect inside. I know this because we all have the ability to love. Some love more than others, some less than you, but all with the capacity for compassion.
When you judge someone on their looks, you know what you’re really saying? You haven’t learned enough in life to realize you’re the one that might have the problem, not the person you’re judging.
“Perhaps, if you weren’t so busy regarding my shortcomings, you’d find that I do possess redeeming qualities, discreet as they may be. I notice when the sky is blue. I smile down at children. I laugh at any innocent attempt at humor. I quietly carry the burdens of others as though they were my own. And I say ‘I’m sorry’ when you don’t. I am not without fault, but I am not without goodness either.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich
Judging Someone Won’t Make Things Better:
All too many people go around hating others for what they; wear, their appearance, the way they walk, talk, colour their hair, shoes they wear, piercings, and tattoos. Their indifference towards people is so shocking, it speaks truth about them. They too are on a constant mental mission, battling their own daemons from within.
If you find yourself constantly needing to make fun of others, I dare you to ask a stranger to tell you what they think of you. Careful now, you might not like what they say, don’t get angry, this is just your own medicine coming back to bite you. I’m sure you don’t have the courage to ask someone, because deep down you’re afraid of what people might say, which makes it easier to belittle another soul as to have power over them and to ensure they don’t judge you accordingly.
I don’t get angry when people judge me, I feel sorry for them since I know in my heart, deep down they are insecure about themselves, which is why they deem it necessary to make fun of my life, who I am, but the truth is they didn’t have the right in the first place. Knowing this allows me to smile and say to them; “I’m sorry you feel so badly towards yourself, I can help you with this if you let me.”
“I would never disrespect any man, woman, chick or child out there. We’re all the same. What goes around comes around, and karma kicks us all in the butt in the end of the day.”– Angie Stone
Before You Say Anything, Be Mindful of Your Thoughts:
(Before you hate, delegate your actions!)
Bad habits can be broken, but it takes determination and the willingness to change. To be a good person takes more courage, than to be the opposite. Have the courage to stand up for people, especially those who are bullied and made fun of because of their appearance, you might just realize that from that one act of kindness, you may have made a best friend for life.
The moment you think of something to say to someone that might humiliate them, think about what you’re about to say. Think to yourself, why am I doing this? Who is this benefiting? Will my actions help or hurt this person’s life? Do I have a right to destroy this person’s feelings? If you can honestly go through with it (hating them publicly) and make fun of that person after truthfully answering those questions, you should seek professional help, or spiritual help.
Our souls are beautiful, when you act against your loving nature, something happens inside. A chemical imbalance begins to form, you’re being starts to hurt, and your mind goes to war, your heart screams for forgiveness. Denying your soul the right to be true as intended sends you down a path of hate, which in many cases can be very difficult to climb out of.
“I have to be careful because there is something destructive within me, I think, and I can have a tendency to just search for the kicks. I can’t really get too close to someone who’s too destructive, or too dark, because then I might go down the rabbit hole myself.”– Alexander Skarsgard
Are Your Friends Influencing Your Decisions?
I understand that sometimes we do things because we see our friends do the same. Hanging out with; negative, judgmental, hateful, or outspoken people can influence your thoughts more than you know. Having these people as friends changes you; it controls your actions in ways that will harm others. Haters hate, compassionate people attract compassion, lovers attract loving people, etc.
If you know deep down you don’t like who you’ve become, change the people that influence you. The mental battle within is only going to get worse, deep down, you know this to be true. Truth can set you free. Is dropping your friends easy to do? I’m not going to fluff it for you, no absolutely not, but I live by a saying that’s helped me with this process:
“Either you change with me, or you lose me to change!”– Martin R. Lemieux
When you let good feelings and compassion back in, you’ll notice the people you attract will be at the same vibration level and think as you do. You’ll also notice; food tastes better, you will smile more, you’re relationships will have deeper meaning and you will no longer have the need to make fun of others.
Forgive yourself for your actions, ask for forgiveness, move on, and be true as you were meant to be.
Namaste!
Martin R. Lemieux
You either choose to help others, or you don’t choose to help others… THERE IS NO IN-BETWEEN!
I want to tell you a PROFOUND STORY that I’ve barely told anyone. Many years back in Hamilton, ON – the place I reside in. Each year they hold a gathering festival at the pier. Every year there’s; booths, food, trinkets and live music.
This one year after hearing a great Canadian band called “The Tea Party”, I was walking with some friends down the grass hill when I saw a large group of strangers hovering over something happening.
My curiosity got the best of me, so I too like many others hurried to see what all the commotion was all about, come to find out that people were watching 6 guys absolutely pound on some young teenager on the ground that you couldn’t even recognize anymore.
The Lion in my instantaneously yelled “hey, what in the world are you doing!” and ran up to those individuals harming the teenager and one by one started throwing them off him.
I didn’t care to be a hero, I wasn’t scared for my life since they could have turned onto me next, but it was the right thing to do.
Once they all cleared in a hurry, I knelt down and seeing this poor kids face, hardly could recognize what he looked at, I placed my hands on his face to stop the bleeding and kept saying to him, “It’s going to be alright, you’re going to be just fine. Listen to my voice; you’re going to be just fine.”
The paramedics showed up and said “weren’t you afraid of getting hurt?”, “I said no!”, then they said “What about diseases like AIDS touching his blood”, I replied, “If saving a man’s life has consequences, then so be it, I’m ready to deal with those consequences”.
The hardest part for me was that when I got up, I saw a man with his 7-9 year old child watching the whole thing happen.
I immediately went to the man and said, “Is this what you’re trying to teach your son? To just stand there and watch?”… The man replied “what is it to you?”… “I held up my bloody hands and started veering towards his son, not to hurt him, but so that he understood that this was wrong, someone just got hurt”… The man quickly felt fear in his eyes and understood my message and turned the other way to leave without saying a word.
In life, when presented with moments like these, you have two choices, you can either watch someone get hurt, or you can be the better person and help others so they don’t get hurt.
It’s your choice!
The Buddhist Chain – Find more stories and images on my Facebook page.
Namaste
Martin R. Lemieux
