Compassion is a feminine quality, that I think I lost while working in the corporate world. I became very masculine in my way of being and relating to others because I didn’t know how to succeed any other way. I worked with mostly men and took on their way of communicating because I didn’t know any different. Now I can see how it did not serve me all of those years and how it negitively affected my relationships with men and my clients. It still comes up in comversations with friends, when they just want me to listen and be compassionate. I immediately go into masculine mode of wanting to fix the problem my friend may be having and offer solutions instead of just listening and being compassionate. At least I’m aware of it now and can choose. I think as time goes on, with more practice, and perhaps if/when I become a mother, I can become naturally more compassionate.
Compassion and intent are the keys to self-care. They’re also very important in our relationships with others. The key to compassionate thinking is simply changing the way you see things in the world around you. Being compassionate is a quick fix, you simply flip a switch in your mind! All you need to do is be aware of compassionate options in your life, and try to take those as often as you can. Soon, thinking in this way will give way to living in this way, and you won’t have to focus on it so much. Our habits, when formed, are remarkably persistent. If you work to create good habits, they will stay with you for a long time without too much effort.
