#31 Compassion

We are all familiar with this word compassion. Thankfully, it is alive and well in today’s world despite the turmoil and confusion we are all witness to. For the sake of this post, I chose to Google the definition. It read, “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others”. Personally, I’m not sure I like the word pity so much. I prefer deep sympathy myself.

Since I semi-retired from my private practice several years ago, I’ve managed to keep my passion alive by doing my own thing in a different direction, like writing. Not unlike a lot of other authors who self-publish, it was never my dream to write a book, let alone two with two more in the embryo stage. It was more a result of wanting to share a message that was the result of personal experiences. One of those experiences was in fact the springboard to my going into private practice to begin with. I had experienced a life altering tragedy at a relatively early age and had to find my way through it. In doing so, I also found my strength and purpose and that was to help others from what I learned.

Over the eighteen years of my practice, I learned so much, and I continued to grow as a result of that learning. I wanted to not just help others with their challenges, but more importantly I wanted to bring an awareness to people about what they were as a spiritual being in human form. Not to mention the power they had to do and be what they wanted once they got the garbage out of the way. My compassion for their pain became my passion. Hence, my passion became my happiness.

After retiring from one-on-one contact in an office, I did for a time become content with sitting in my home office to write and continue my studies in ultimate reality but kept myself available for those who may search me out for service of any kind. I could never not help. These were far and few, or should I say too far and too few.

Something has been gnawing at me for a while causing a restlessness and even though I really didn’t think I wanted to open another office again, and I was still writing with frequent inspirational guidance, I still kept feeling a sense of incompleteness if you know what I mean. Somehow, I didn’t feel I was totally filling my purpose.

What to do with this conundrum? Well along came 2020 with Covid-19, social distancing and a whole new normal. Not to mention a boat load of fear and confusion. I found myself becoming a victim of mixed emotions like everyone else. Where was my happiness? My sense of purpose? I couldn’t help people even if I wanted to. At least not like I used to face to face. Do I just put my feet up and try to enjoy retirement the best I could and just read and write? Sounds good, but there was still that sliver of emptiness that I couldn’t shake.

In 2019 my wife helped me put on a live full day workshop. It was something I hadn’t done in years since my practice. It was on vision boarding and it was awesome. I love to teach and share and with her help I found that spark that wasn’t quite ready to die out yet. I knew I wanted to do more workshops to coordinate around the material in my books, but that possibility went by the wayside with the social restrictions. Everything was beginning to go virtual and to be honest, I wasn’t comfortable with that idea. Where was the personal touch?

She tried to convince me to reach out on Facebook live and although it was a good idea, for some reason I resisted that. Time to let go and let God I guess if my work isn’t done yet. There is something to be said for letting go even though the waiting can be painful.

Not too long ago I received an email from a company that connects all kinds of professional services with people in need of those services. The biggest selling point of this idea is that those in need are willing to hire services remotely as well as locally. Now I’m face to face with a decision to offer what I once did one-on-one, to get knee deep in someone’s personal challenge on a Zoom screen. Could this possibly work? Well, I filled out a profile and submitted it and they began to send me leads of people who were looking for help in all the areas I listed. I was blown away! So many people from all over the country reaching out for help in all areas of their lives. So many hurting people! I’m filled with compassion for them all. Guess what I’ll be doing.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion!