Moving Forward – A 1000Speak Postlude
So here we are, more than a week later.
A great many of us have been riding the wave of good feeling that has come from the 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion project and it has been a wild ride indeed.
I have read dozens and dozens of posts by so many wonderful people and believe me, I have many more to go. The stories and the writers are diverse. Words spring from the pages and the hearts of these writers telling of experiences that will make you laugh and cry. They will make you feel glad and sad and angry and every other emotion you can name. The emotions, causes, losses, and motivations behind the tales of compassion are vastly different. No two are alike.
But there is a common sentiment in them: compassion begins with us.
No matter what the story, the bottom line is that we must first be kind and compassionate with ourselves. After that, we must look to the person standing next to us who needs our care and our concern. Some efforts may be more grand in scale. But what I found over and over again was that most people celebrated the power and value of showing compassion in the smallest of ways.
I received a text message other night – a wrong number. A woman texted her nephew saying that she hoped he knew why everyone was upset with someone I suppose was another member of the family. I had to let her know she was in the wrong place. But I wondered…what if I do just one more thing? After she said she was sorry and thanked me, I texted her back again and said that I hoped everything worked out alright.
That felt awesome.
I have no idea who she was or what the problem was on her end. But somehow I thought that little bit might make her feel somewhat more at ease. Maybe it didn’t. It doesn’t matter.
I wanted to do something that mattered for the homeless man we saw standing on the side of the road in the cold as the snow fell. I was in the passenger seat and could have handed him whatever I had in my wallet. But my wallet was empty this morning. I did all that I could in that particular moment – I prayed. I prayed that he would find a way to stay warm and that someone else would have the means to care for him as that icy cold snow fell.
Still, I felt like I hadn’t done enough and it bothered me for most of the day.
But maybe the fact that I gave a little girl my cardigan to wear to cross the street for our reception after Mass this morning was enough. It doesn’t have to be the grand, obvious gesture. It doesn’t have to be the thing that will make people notice and say “wow, what a great thing you did.”
In fact, maybe it should be the thing that most people won’t see. Maybe taking care of that person no one noticed is the way to go. Maybe listening to that person who feels no one understands is the most important thing. No one of us can help every single person that we want to at every moment that an opportunity presents itself. But we do what we can. And we try to see a need immediately. Most important, we must remember to start small.
Love yourself. Show true compassion for yourself as a beautiful and wonderful creation of God. Next, take care of those closest to you; they deserve your best. Then, let the circle widen. It only takes one small stone dropped into a pool of water to create great waves at the water’s edge.
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1000Speak started with an understanding that even though we might get older, we still all need the metaphorical village around us, and the compassion of others in our lives. Then the sudden thought happened – what if 1000 of us wrote about compassion all at once? From there, the movement has taken on its own life; has burgeoned and grown and spread a whole lot of love and connection and ‘villageyness’.
On February 20, 2015, United Nations World Day of Social Justice, one thousand bloggers from all over the world joined their voices to speak through their blogs about compassion. I am honored to be part of the 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion project as we move forward to continue our quest to bring more compassion to the world.
Visit this link-up to access the posts from all the wonderful and talented bloggers who participated on February 20th.
Spread the love using the hashtag #1000Speak
Join the 1000 Voices Speak for Compassion group on Facebook.
And join us as we move forward on March 20th and beyond.
Together we’re stronger.
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I think little acts of compassion can be more important than large gestures.
I agree, Dyanne. I wish more people would realize that something small to one person sometimes means a lot more than a grand public effort.
I made that comment from my phone and it actually posted! Wheee!
Hmm…maybe your phone comes through but your computer doesn’t?
It really IS the “little things” that can make huge differences – whether in marriage, the workplace, the community – a kind word, a compliment, a small deed, an empowering prayer, can be transforming! Great focus, Lisa!
Thanks, Shel. From both the giving and receiving perspective, I am seeing very clearly how much those small things matter. Transforming is a great word – and I can feel it!
Wonderful post! Truly touching and I believe in this cause! The passion!
Hi, Valerie. The whole experience has touched me a great deal. I love where we’re going with it. Glad to have you on board!
I know what you mean! After reading so many enlightening and uplifting posts, I find myself treading carefully, trying to leave meaningful comments, trying to be nicer!! I love that I’m a part of this movement!!
I find myself doing the same thing, Roshni. I like your words – treading carefully. All too often we tend to stomp unwittingly through the world around us, literally and figuratively. This is a wonderful movement with wonderful people. It just tickles me to see that little #1000Speak hashtag all over the place.
I think another interesting aspect, and perhaps meta to what you’ve noted, is that none of the ‘self-compassion’ set are there saying they want to be kinder to themselves because they deserve more or want an easy life full of luxuries, or they think that they just fancy it, but that it’s a means to an end, which ultimately enables them to act with more compassion towards others.
Great postlude 😀
Yes, I have noticed that in many of them. It’s definitely not stemming from a desire to generate any particular self-benefit. I like that there is so much other-centeredness brewing.
So true! All of it! I noticed the same patterns emerge from the dozens of posts I read too. Self-compassion and small gestures were the recurring themes. Thanks for your wise insight.
Proof that it doesn’t really take a whole lot to make a whole lot of difference, Jackie. I love it! And thanks for thinking I’m wise. 😉
Oh Lisa! What a fantastic way to round up this amazing campaign!! Just one more step of compassion we can take makes a HUGE difference. I love that you are still living in the momentum of this mission… and carrying out those steps!!
Your last line- WHOA!!!
“It only takes one small stone dropped into a pool of water to create great waves at the water’s edge.” BRILLIANT. XOXO
Woo hoo! Who would’ve thought when I woke up this morning that I’d be brilliant?!? Not me, that’s for sure. 😀 Thanks, Chris, really. For everything today – it was amazing, wasn’t it? Amazing.
This has been such a great project and I am so excited to see where we go next. I am excited to tell you that I’ll be teaming up with Hasty and some others over at her place for the March effort.
Maybe instead of feeling guilty when all we can do is pray – which is HUGE btw, we can believe that maybe our wallest were empty that day because someone else desperately needed to feel the blessing of selfless giving and compassion. I have to be careful. I could easily become a “blessing hog” because it feels so good to help. I have to remember that others also need to feel that joy and allow room for others to step in – even if it means that I need to be a gracious receiver. That’s also an act of compassion. Being able to swallow our pride and allow someone to serve us in our need blesses them as we’re being blessed.
Anita, that is a wonderful way to look at it. Thanks for sharing that here! You may be right. And again, look how easily we slip into that habit of feeling guilty that we aren’t doing “enough.” There is no way to define or quality what is “enough” on any given day for any of us. I’m so glad you came to read and comment! Welcome!
All of us can generate compassion. We don’t have to understand a situation to infuse it with compassion, as you found out. It’s universal and it is always right. Compassion for the sake of compassion is the truest, most beautiful form.
You know, Eli, your comment hits close to home with me. “We don’t have to understand a situation to infuse it with compassion.” I have been on the receiving end of a situation where I truly needed to feel like people were being compassionate with me, with my feelings. Sadly, they could not deliver. Their reasons are their own, of course, and compassion can’t be forced. But the message communicated to me was that I could not expect people to feel for me because no one understood my circumstances as I did. That said my feelings weren’t valid. But perhaps the lesson is that we can not assume where we might find that compassion or understanding.
“It only takes one small stone dropped into a pool of water to create great waves at the water’s edge.” Yes. And imagine many small stones dropped in the pool – a tidal wave of compassion.
That would be awesome, Dana!
A lovely post – and sentiment. Yes! Small actions matter and add up. But also, don’t berate yourself for where you wish you’d done more. Do what you can, give what you feel you can give and trust that matters. You don’t have to fix the world. It would be nice to think that, if everyone thought that way, the homeless man you worried about would find his compassion from another the same way that girl got the warmth of a cardigan from you.
Thanks, Louise. Someone else said something similar – maybe someone else needed to be the one to help that man that day. It’s an interesting way to look at it. But you’re right – we can’t beat ourselves up for what we can not do; only be glad for what we can.
If we don’t place value on the little acts of kindness, it is too easy to skip doing them. And some days it is that little act of kindness that makes all the difference.
I see that over and over in the posts and articles I’m seeing through the 1000Speak writers, May. The smallest things turn out to be the most powerful for so many.
Yes, that’s right….whatever it is, compassion begins with each of us. And resisting the impetus to ask, “who’s going to show it to us first?”
I think people do hold back, Michelle. I’m sure I have at many points. It takes a bit of courage to just step up and do it. But the more we do, the easier it becomes.