A Different Kind of Compassion

Hi, welcome back to your Daily Mindfulness. In today's session, we're going to talk about a different form of compassion for other people. I'm going to start with a bold statement. I believe sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do for another person is to actually let them struggle. Now, this one can be hard to hear and hard to understand, but if you think back on your own life, chances are your biggest growth points were during or after periods of intense pain and confusion.

What might've happened if that pain period was cut short? If someone took you out of it? If they kept you from reaching rock bottom? Would you have had the same insights and growth? Would you be who you are today? There's no right answer to this truly. I can name many scenarios where I believe a person would have been much better off with less pain and more help from another person. And this is especially true when the situation is trauma related. But alleviating someone's pain is not always in their best interest, especially when it comes to longterm growth and insights. If the intention behind your compassionate action is to help this person improve their life, then letting them have their own learning experience, even if it means greater pain in the present might be the compassion they most need from you.

As with all big decisions in life, you ultimately have to use your own judgment. But I hope this gives you another perspective to consider, and it may help you feel less guilty letting someone close to you, go through their own journey. It's important to show compassion. And sometimes the most compassionate thing we can do for another person is to let them struggle. Thank you for your practice.

I'll talk to you in the meditation and take care.