Inside Parkinson's

I watched the raid and destruction of the Capitol this past week, as I am sure all of you did as well. What a sad day for our nation. There is so much hatred being spread in the world that it is contagious. Hate feeds into more hate. Violence leads to more violence. The more we hate and criticize and judge, the harder our hearts become. Is this really who we want to be?

What I would like to offer today is warmth, kindness, compassion, and love. All we need is love. Can love be contagious? If we can spread love, kindness, empathy towards one another, what would happen? What would happen if we all did a random act of kindness. What if we all helped a person in need?

I do believe that if we all shine our light, that light will spread. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, follow us if we spread kindness. Maybe, I’m naïve, but I believe in love and kindness. If we share love, kindness, and compassion with others, this will extend to others and so on.  

The Dalia Lama offers these thoughts on compassion:

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.

As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. At such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but every one who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind! 

Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase. 

Compassion and the Individual, Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama

Right now, it feels like we can not do anything about the state of the world and our nation. We have to return to the local level. Spread a little joy, find the good in those around you. Believe in love, believe in kindness, believe in compassion. I really want our nation to be one of peace. We all need peace and joy, if we share it with others we will feel peace and joy. We can change the world. One random act of kindness at a time.