Yesterday, I wrote about my experience with the Jewish faith and that got me to thinking about compassion as a whole. Or more so, the lack of compassion that we see around the world today. It made me wonder what has happened in our universe that compassion becomes secondary to everything else, while hate, vitriol and violence is on the rise and left to go unchecked. The basic question is, where did the compassion go?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that compassion still exists, but is often drowned out by the 24 hour news cycle that chooses to feed on the fears of humanity rather than uplift the souls of the many. Bad stories gain viewers and garners interest, good stories don’t sell advertisements. There is a reason that you have to watch all the way to the end of most newscasts to find the feel good story of the night.

The thing about compassion is it is free. It does not cost a thing to show compassion, do a good deed, make someone feel good or just care about your fellow person. However, if that is the case, then why is it so hard to find? I am a firm believer that the art of compassion starts at home when we are growing up. If we are exposed to it, then the natural compassion we are born with grows and is nurtured as we mature. If we have no exposure to it and we grow up void of compassion, what else are we to know until we have some life event that alters our course?

Giving, doing, caring and assisting all create feel good endorphins that cause us to want to do more. There is a reason that we feel better about giving a present than we do about receiving one. The act of compassion feeds the soul in a way that receiving or taking never could. Doing for others rather than having done for you (there is a parable in there somewhere) creates that exhilaration that causes us to want expand on our compassionate acts.

People will say that compassion is gone or dead. However, that is not the case. Compassion exists, you just have to look a little harder to find it in the mire that surrounds us. If you don’t see it, work a little harder to find that compassion within yourself and soon your eyes will be opened to all the compassion around you.

Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron