Friday, April 21, 2006

compassion vs. ego play.

in today`s voracious want to be seen as a compassionate person we tend to get involved in charities and fundraising. this is what i call compassion by consumerism. we are buying a good feeling and reducing guilt for not doing anything about the plight of blah, blah, blah............
real valid compassion is rolling your sleeves up and doing something locally about something that needs to be done. it takes courage, time, effort and money and can take a minute, or a lifetime if done right.
compassion is the direct opposite of giving fifty bucks to a large corporation to fund more ad campaigns similar to the one you responded to. you aren`t helping anyone. you are shopping.
compassion is changing pain in people`s lives directly. be a friend, a father, a son, a niegbour, a leader, a coach. one-on-one or in a group. with real people. do not shy away when the time comes for you to get involved in your community. that is what compassion is. and if you feel strongly enough about a distant plight, go there. take some friends and equipment and go make a difference. get dirty, get emotional, get grateful, but for god`s sake don`t throw money blindly at the next sales pitch thinking that if you don`t that something horrid will happen. it already did. you had to experience someone trying to bully you into giving them money.
there`s another lesson in unconditional love for yourself.

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