What types of people do you enjoy spending time with? The world can be divided into two types of people, those who energize you or others who deprive you of energy.
You can easily tell a person passed by you belongs to which of these categories. Simply, by observing the way a person walks, talks, or responds to your calls, you can know a lot about his nature.
Compassion is one of the qualities of energetic people. To be compassionate, you must first understand the true meaning of the word itself.
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Understand The True Meaning Of Compassion
Let’s understand this in a broader way by thinking over it more deeply.
You find it easy to interact with and enjoy being around people who energize you. People that drain you of your energy could try to disgrace you, and you never feel at ease among them.
Have you wondered which category you belong to? We play a part in the life of each person we meet. Some individuals may enjoy being with you, while others may dislike your company. You can clearly identify these folks. Think about it.
You might be asking, “Why is this important? We are not born to please people around us.”.
You are right. I agree that you weren’t born to entertain everyone that comes into your life. But your habits and behavior affect millions of people you don’t even know.
Imagine, an officer, whose wife battled with him in the morning, being impolite and using harsh words on the lift man. However, the officer’s wife was in fact frustrated because her housemaid was on leave. You see how a single insignificant behavior of the housemaid came bursting upon the lift man.
You must understand that being kind to others and feeling their suffering is important. It also gives us the courage to accept and let go of things that we don’t normally expect to do.
This feeling of being aware of others’ grief and treating them in the right manner is called as compassion. It is one of the most important features that holds mankind together.
Why Being Compassionate is Important?
When we defy someone, that person passes on the negativity to another person by some means. Just like the officer passes it on to the lift man. This creates a chain of negativity in motion which can impact many people we don’t even know about. Hence, we must also learn to control our emotions and feeling.
To bring our senses in control, we must first understand why that bad thing happened in the first place. This is how compassion helps us in our life. A compassionate person understands the emotions of others. Therefore, he knows how he must react in order to make things smooth.
Just like negative emotions, compassion can be contagious too. Compassion sets a wave of positive emotions. These pass on to different people and brings a smile on their face.
The lift man has a choice, either understand that the officer was having a bad day and continue treating other passengers nicely, or be rude to the next person he meets. If he understands and connects with people’s emotions well, he will continue greeting the next passenger and spreading happiness. Indeed, this is the compassionate attitude of the lift man.
How To Be Compassionate To Others?
Though it might look like a big task, but taking baby steps would make significant changes in your behavior.
Here are a few ways to break the chain of negativity and set compassion in motion.
Acceptance is the Key
You can’t expect everyone to behave as you want. Everyone in this world has a unique way of living. Their lifestyle is influenced by many factors like genetics, environment or experience, etc. You cannot judge anyone based on their first encounter.
If a person has been rude to you for a long time, then it doesn’t mean that the person has always been the way he is. He might have faced many things in his life that made him what he is today. Hence, you must accept people as they are.
Remember that you shouldn’t try to point out their mistakes or offer assistance if they didn’t ask for your help. Otherwise, it just makes things worse.
Forgive And Forget
Nobody has deliberately planned to hurt you. Even if they did plan, you shouldn’t care about punishing them. Everyone is responsible for their acts and must deal with the consequences. When you forgive and forget the matter, the negative chain breaks.
Your neutral reaction also saves you from many troublesome situations. Don’t let the actions of other people affect your daily tasks. Forgiving and forgetting lets you focus on things that are more important at the time.
Moreover, tensing the situation and blaming other people won’t make the situation any better. In fact, it will create a bad impression of you. A person’s intelligence is best defined by how he reacts in a crisis. Hence, never play the blame game or try to hurt others’ feelings. It’s better sometimes if you forgive the person and focus on the next best thing to do.
Express Gratitude
Let people know that you value their presence in your life. One of the best ways to tell them is by expressing your gratitude. People love to feel important and honored. Your thankfulness will make their day, and they will also feel good about having you in their life.
A simple word “Thank you” can do magical things in a relationship. It’s the best way to show appreciation for the efforts that the person took for you. It sets a wave of positivity in the atmosphere. There are chances that the person might remember you forever for your polite behavior.
Listen Carefully
When somebody is speaking with you, he definitely wants you to hear something. A person might be trying to tell you information that he might not have discussed with anyone before.
It means that the person trusts you to have the information. You can’t simply disrespect the person by only pretending to hear the words.
A person must always listen to more words than he speaks. Even when the topic doesn’t interest you, you shouldn’t get lost in your own thoughts. Listening to a person when he’s saying something also signifies that you respect his opinions. These days, people rarely have such good listening skills.
Spread the Joy
Everyone likes to be around a person who gives positive vibes. Your happiness doubles when you share it with people. It creates a fruitful environment and a peaceful mind. You can wonder how a single compliment can put a smile on your colleague’s face.
Helping people is another way to spread joy. A person who needs help might not always come and ask you to help him. You must understand who needs you. If you take proper care of the feelings of people around you, the bond gets stronger and deeper.
Final Words
Living with compassion can make this earth a more lively place. You must step forward and take the initiative. Remember that you are breaking the chain of negativity and setting positive energy in motion.
Your ability to feel the grief of people and understand their emotions will help you make strong bonds and life-long relations. Above all, compassion is the key to healthy relationships.
Also read: How To Increase Longevity