Focus on this energy to help yourself — and the world
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I pick a card from a deck of oracle cards each morning. This daily practice, that I started in January, centers and grounds me. I sit down at my desk, a candle lit beside me, and begin to focus my energy and attention around the message I receive. After I write for a while I move into action.
I am often struck by how the card I draw is just what I need on a given day. Some recent examples have been “Breakthrough,” “Action,” “Commitment,” “Playfulness.”
And sometimes, I draw a card that surprises me a bit. When that happens, as it did today, I spend a little more time considering what it is I can learn, or how I can be inspired by the message on the card.
The card I drew today?
“Compassion”
And the affirmation stated on the card is:
“The vibration of compassion shines through my every cell!”
The importance of compassion now
One dictionary definition of compassion is:
“sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”
I do not disagree. And yet I started thinking about this word, and its message for me — and all of us — in a broader way today.
With all that is happening in the world, compassion for those who are suffering is a sensation most of us are feeling, and with which many of us are struggling. We live thousands of miles from many tragic world events, we are in close proximity to the continued suffering caused by COVID, and we feel for countless people everywhere who experience distress of many kinds.
It can feel overwhelming to think about all of the suffering we wish we could alleviate.
And, while it may sound counterintuitive, I know there is a way that we can increase our power to positively impact others.
We need to bring compassion to ourselves first
When we cultivate true compassion for ourselves, we can fully love and unconditionally accept ourselves. With this foundation we can have more impact for others in need.
I write often about ways we can strengthen self-love and how to bring more love into the world. (You may want to check out this article about love and self-love. And this article has 3 quick steps to give your spirits a boost.)
Cherish yourself. Affirm your belief that you are amazing, deserving, capable, powerful and creative. In addition to focusing your thoughts this way, you may want to create a mantra for yourself and repeat it often, to bolster self-love.
Aim to let go of judgement, shame or guilt, if you notice thoughts like that showing up. How? Spot those thoughts and replace them with positive, loving thoughts. (You might repeat your mantra.)
The energy of compassion is stronger than you may think
I deeply believe in the power of love to heal us. When we are filled with self-love, and focused on radiating loving thoughts and actions, we shine more of our light to others — near and far.
What we focus on is what we get.
If you allow fear, bitterness or stress to occupy your thoughts, those will build.
So, consider how you can keep your focus on the positive.
Perhaps, if you meditate, you will bring a simple loving mantra into that practice.
You might talk about the power of love in conversations with others today
If you write in a journal, you may want to focus on love in any of its forms.
The more you activate, and spread, your love and light, the more it grows in you. And the more that energy touches others.
Let’s all leverage positive energy
The energetic field of positive vibration will grow and become more powerful the more we each nurture loving energy, and the more we inspire others to expand loving energy.
By collectively bringing a focus of loving compassion to our lives and the lives of others, we bring fuel to alleviating suffering. Coupled with action, these synergistic forces are powerful.
We can all play our part and sustain this energy.
Let’s do this together. Will you join me?
Stay safe and well, and create your life with joy.
