Compassion: Your Gift to Humanity

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”—Maya Angelou

Compassion is a deep sympathy for the sorrows and pains of others, with a deep urge to ease their suffering. We all have experienced it sometime or other in our life. It could have been when our best friend lost a parent: we saw their suffering and really wanted to help and console, or we might have witnessed a child wailing and, though feeling helpless, we wanted to ease their pain.

Though the world is full of wonders and blessings, many still suffer because of its ills. Some are sleeping on the streets; others are losing their jobs; relationships are broken brutally, causing endless suffering to children and partners… unfortunately, the list is long. At some point, we may ponder the rhyme and reason of all this.

But we are not to become desperate. Our mission is to develop our muscle of compassion and do whatever we can to ease the pain of those life puts on our path. Despair will lead us nowhere: feelings of helplessness and hopelessness aggravate the world's suffering. We cannot afford that. We can contribute some love, some solace, a breath of fresh air.

On our journey of healing, compassion—and other values like kindness and respect—boosts our sense of well-being and fills us with the feeling of being worthy. Our best efforts to improve the world give our lives meaning. We feel connected with others and part of the whole human race.

We all need a little compassion on our way for, eventually, in life, we will go through trials—this is our human condition. And if no fellow human is there in our time of need, what are we humans up to? If we are unwilling to lift another soul in their time of despair, what is our purpose on this earth?

So let us give compassion to ourselves as well as to our fellow humans, for it will heal us as well as those to whom we are lending a helping hand. Compassion opens the door to more joy, peace, and love in the world. Compassion will heal the world.

“That is what compassion does. It challenges our assumptions, our sense of self-limitation, worthlessness, of not having a place in the world. As we develop compassion, our hearts open.”—Sharon Salzberg