THE DAILY SPARK

FINDING COMPASSION

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

Quote by Henri J.M. Nouwen

https://henrinouwen.org/about/

REFLECTION:

  • Having compassion can be a very challenging exercise.
  • Is there a person that may be weak, vulnerable, powerless or perhaps armored up, defensive or scared that you need to see through the eyes of compassion?
  • How can you find more compassion (for someone dead or alive)?
  • Would you consider a different perspective on this person… understanding that everyone is a “work in progress… that we all are/were doing the best we could”

WE DON’T HEAR THIS OFTEN…

FIVE TRUE STATEMENTS WE DON’T HEAR VERY OFTEN

It’s a shame, because it would help us do a much better job of bringing ideas to people:

“I don’t care enough to do what you’re asking.”

“I don’t trust you enough to hear you out.”

“I don’t believe it’s worth what it will cost in time, money or risk.”

“I’m afraid of the changes it will cause.”

“I don’t believe that I’m the kind of person who can do this.”

Instead, people talk about features, quality or budgets.  Which might be genuine inquiry, but is often simply a way of stalling until time runs out.  When someone cares enough to tell us their truth, perhaps the best response is “thank you.”

FROM:  Seth Godin’s Blog

https://seths.blog/

REFLECTION:

  • How willing are you to say your truth?
  • How willing are you to hear someone else share their truth?
  • Can you say “thank you” to someone for brining their ideas to you?
  • What would happen if you said “thank you” instead of defending… closing the door on dialogue?

THE ART OF GATHERING

“Why do we gather?”  We gather to solve problems we can’t solve on our own.  We gather to celebrate, to mourn, and to mark transitions.  We gather to make decisions.  We gather because we need one another.  We gather to show strength.  We gather to honor and acknowledge.  We gather to build companies and schools and neighborhoods.  We gather to welcome, and we gather to say goodbye.

Excerpt from Priya Parker’s book:  The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

Priya Parker is a conflict resolution strategist and author of the book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.  She is a founding member of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network, a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership, and a Senior Expert at Mobius Executive Leadership

REFLECTION:

  • COVID has curtailed our opportunity to gather and yet being with others, offers so many benefits.  
  • Community is built through participation.  Do you allow others to be involved?
  • How can you include others… gather a group to build something even better.
  • Do you need to organize a gathering or ask to help someone else having a gathering?