Compassion

Cultivating compassion in our lives doesn't require a lot of meditation, rumination, studying of cultures or spiritual texts.  Sometimes all it takes is simply putting ourselves in someone else's shoes.  Before we react, we can choose to take a moment, imagine what it would be like to be in the position of the other, and then respond with mindfulness and compassion.  Compassion is different than empathy or sympathy, in that it seeks to relieve suffering, and is not just an emotional response to a person's situation.  So, for example, whereas you might relate sympathetically to someone by saying, "I know how you feel, I've been there too;" to compassionately respond would be to add, "How can I help you feel better about this?"  This weekend, before you react to someone, try putting yourselves in their shoes, and respond according to what your heart tells you.