Two traits that are missing in common society.
Empathy and Compassion. Two traits that are missing in common society.
Have you ever looked around and wondered what the hell is wrong with our society and people today?
Why is it that people are constantly at each other throats?
Is it because here in America we have been strategically divided into two separate political parties and have been pitted against each other? This is done through the media, our politicians, and from each other.
Interested in what I mean by the media working to divide us? Check out my previous blog on just that topic here.
It has become this way of life that if you “don’t believe in the values that I believe in, you are wrong and are the enemy!”.
This is a complete asinine way of being. Yet, everyday it just seems to get a little worse and the divide a little further. For what? Personal pride that you are to closed minded to listen. Maybe, it is because you have this ego thing going on that is way to big to admit you are wrong, or misguided. Humility, the quality of being humble, has gone away in society and has been replaced with “just get louder and resort to name calling”.
I think this is all because people have stopped living with two distinct characteristics: empathy and compassion.
Empathy: the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Compassion: sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
We have suddenly became this “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” narrative that we see from all these “successful” “influencers” on social media. However, if you look at their pages it is 100% good days. Hmmmmm. Full of shit: yes.
I was watching a Steven Furtick, pastor of Elevation Church, video yesterday on YouTube and he said “everyone goes throughs through the same storm together, however, not everyone is in the same boat”. Read that again and let that process.
Sure we are all going through the COVID 19 pandemic together as a country; however, we aren’t in the same boat. You don’t know my struggles, and I don’t know yours. Yet, we have come to believe that just because I am doing fine, you should be as well. If not, you are f*cked up and you need to fix yourself.
We like to belittle people and drop little microaggressions that put people down. Also, we like to portray that our shit is all together, even though as soon as we hit send we crumble and hope that no one finds out our struggles.
What if…just what if for one month we quit acting like we know it all. What if…just what if for one month we took the time to care about others and took the time to ask “what is wrong and can I help” with the true intent to listen and help. What if we said “man your life really sucks right now and I am sorry and just want to let you know I am really thinking of you and pulling for you and your family” instead of “suck it up buttercup, you and the rest of the world are in the same boat. STOP. We aren’t in the same boat. Not even close.
Living with empathy and compassion really takes a lot of work. It isn’t something that just comes overnight. Some have never seen or felt it in their lives, and it shows. For many, we have gotten sucked in to the hype of the media, social media, and the belief that in order to be successful you must only focus on yourself and your rise to fame.
I would encourage you to examine your life and how you treat others. Do you need to reexamine your level of empathy and compassion towards 1) yourself and 2) others around you to include those you have never met? I know I do and I will.
You don’t need to change the world, almost everyone reading this can’t. However, we can change the life of just one person, or more. That change can then affect others that they change because of you. Before you know it, you can make an impact on your community. My friends, this is where real change begins, not from politicians or newscasters.
Are you with me in making a change to those you know, and those suffering around you? Or are you going to stick in the same boat of worrying about yourself and degrading and downplaying others situations because they aren’t as badass as you?
If you are the latter, I wish you well in life but just know, one day YOU WILL want someone to be empathetic and compassionate towards you and karma..well she is a motherf*cker.
Do you want to learn more but don’t know where to start? Maybe it is overwhelming and you aren’t ready to take on the Buddhist lifestyle. Check out Dr. Russel Kolts, professor, author, psychotherapist focusing on compassion based therapy website at http://www.compassionatemind.net/Cultivating_Compassion.php. Dr. Kolts is a mastermind and I think you will enjoy his book titled “An Open Hearted Life”. I have read most of it and can’t recommend it enough!
Hope to hang out nude and practice empathy and compassion soon,
Ryan
P.S. this was really hard for me to type and not go off the rails as it has been eating at me for years and the more I typed, the more inner anxiety and anger I felt towards humanity; ultimately, the complete opposite of who and how I am trying to be.
If you are in the greater Spokane, Eastern Washington or Northern Idaho area feel free to email me a hello at everydaynudist@gmail.com would love to connect with local readers!
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