You just never know where you will find inspiration. I just stumbled up on a great picture while attempting to stalk my friend's page. This one here.
This spoke to me because I was thinking about how we go about things in life and what inspires us and what gets in our way. In both cases it is our processing of information - how we see things - that makes this happen.
Mother Teresa was an amazing human being, because she lived in one of the poorest area of the earth and worked seemingly joyfully because she saw each person just as that; a person. She regarded each human being as important. The more I look at every person in this way, the more compassion I have for humanity. But it is easy for me when they are random strangers. There is no personal attachment.
Ever been around someone and you just get the feeling they are barely tolerating your existence? They have that fixed facial expression that with every word that comes out of your mouth it seems like a personal assault to their ears? I have. I have a lot! And this used to bother me. I'd keep talking (digging a deeper hole!) trying for that barely tolerable person to "get" me. Then I realized, not everyone needs to "get" me. I have no control over what other people think of me. And that's cool. I won't understand every other person's ideas or points of view. It's harder when it's someone that is in your life all the time. Especially when it seems to be in opposition to your own views. But I think it is then that it is more important to show compassion and try and understand where that person is coming from; more so than being understood.
I read this book a while ago, sort of self-help book on how to live a life that can have a positive ripple effect on those around you. Basically there was one message. "Love one another". It wasn't "judge one another". It wasn't "save one another". It wasn't "like what the other person is doing". It was simply "love one another". Seems simple enough. So why does it have to be so complicated? It didn't seem complicated for Mother Teresa. She wasn't judging anyone or even trying to save anyone's soul. She just loved her fellow man. You could argue, what good did it do? Calcutta is STILL one of the poorest places in the world. But she did what she could do, one human being at a time. And her efforts have been felt around the world. They're being felt right here! Right now!
I'm reflecting on this because I was having difficulty using compassion for my fellow man; I was personalizing a situation without taking into consideration everything that was happening. We have to make choices in how to see things and right now when I put myself in that other person's position it frees me from judging, it frees me from feeling a need to "save" someone else, and it frees up the ability to just love someone, regardless. Interesting; as I was writing this I had a certain calm come over me.
Don't think for a second that you are not important. You are important and what you do, MATTERS! Every person has a contribution to this earth. Every single person. Every being. You are no less and no better than any other. We all laugh, we all cry, we all hurt, we all feel joy, we all need water, air, and nourishment to survive this naked planet.
Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's bad or wrong. Yesterday I spoke of irrational fears. Fears are compelling things. But, as we all know:
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." ~ Yoda.
The root of fear, from where I stand, is simply not understanding. The more we at least try to understand, to walk in someone else's shoes, the more peace we will have in ourselves.
I'll say it again: You are important, and what you do MATTERS! Whether you like it or not. I have to remind myself regularly so I may as well remind you too! :)
Have a great day people! I'm going to go do my homework now because all play and no work makes Pokey an unproductive girl! :)
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