“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~ Dalai Lama

We are all striving to live in a happy world and to be happy our-self too. While we all want this level of happiness, are we able to garner it for us everyday? We try. Come on, we try to remain happy and calm, but the mean people(for reasons all their own) of the world come on over into this happy bubble and spoil it all up. So, we are not happy because of the mean people in the world?! Really!?

Nah, we are not happy because we have not become kinder and more compassionate to ourselves and to all those around us. Why blame the mean people, they are probably fighting their own battles on the inside.

That doesn’t mean we can all be happy and chipper all the time. But it simply means, we shouldn’t give another external entity the power to change our moods as they deem fit. Its my mood dammit! I’ll feel good even if you don’t want me to. Period.

Compassion and Kindness WORK!

While it has been proven by scientist that becoming kinder and more compassionate can have a positive effect on the physical body, the spiritual masters all say it has positive healing effects on the heart, mind and soul too. People who practice kindness and compassion produce 100 percent more DHEA, which is a hormone that counteracts the aging process, and 23 percent less cortisol — the “stress hormone.”

Being kind and compassionate calms you, makes your heart softer, makes you more understanding, makes you more aware of the nature of things. There is a subtle ‘knowing’ that comes from having a compassionate heart. The negatives of yourself and all those around you just melt away.

Just like an act of kindness and compassion can have beautiful effects on the world, an act of hate and anger can leave negative effects in the world too. It all then comes back to us. While its easy to blame the mean people for bursting our happiness bubble, aren’t we all meanies sometimes? When the traffic is crazy, when we are late for an important meeting, when etc etc….acknowledge this. Be aware of this part of you too and then infuse it with kindness and compassion.

So here goes, I’ll share some of my personal favorite ways to becoming kinder and more compassionate, so that you too may reap the benefits of it in your world. The world needs more kindness and more compassion…lets garner it together.

4 Positive Ways to Be Kinder and more Compassionate

1}Develop Empathy:

We are all intrinsically empathetic hearts. We feel bad when we someone in pain. We feel hurt when we see someone hurt. That’s natural. Developing empathy is about being able to DO something after feeling that empathy. A simple thing I DO to keep the empathetic heart of mine hapy is pray. Everytime I hear/see an ambulance pass by, I say a prayer for the person in it. Everytime I see a fire engine pass by, I say a pray for wherever its headed. In the news when I see suffering I say a prayer. This act of silently praying or sending out good energy to those suffering opens your heart further. You become kinder and more compassionate from the inside out. Slowly you will see how simply ‘feeling’ for anothers plight can make you forget your own.

2}Understand Suffering:

To understand suffering is to truly be compassionate. We all have our own levels of pasts or presents we are suffering with. How much we want to end that pain…right? But, for a moment look beyond yourself and try to understand someone else’s pain. For a second put yourself in their shoes and feel what they feel. In that moment, all the anger, the distress, the sadness from your own pain vanishes and is replaced with immense compassion for this other soul. We come to realize that our suffering is but minuscule as compared to the many other souls going through their own pains.

3}Practice A Random Act of Kindness:

An act of kindness has the power to not only heal another heart, but your heart too. Kindness in thought softens you and allows you to absorb more of the goodness around you. The more you absorb kindness, the more you are able to emit it. When I say practice kindness, it doesnt have to be an elaborate act. Some thing simple, doable, but highly profound. Eg, smile at a passer by, offer a shoulder to someone who needs it, give someone a flower for no reason, help a neighbour with their shopping or their kids. etc. Simple acts of kindness lead to bigger acts in time. You might even sign up to go volunteer at an old age home or an orphanage. Just think, these one or two small acts of kindness, will eventually reach so many hearts. Its a breathtaking feeling when we think that a world is full of kinder happier souls.

4}Forgive More:

Its very easy for me to sit on my high horse and say “forgive more”. I hear you saying- but you dont know my pesky neighbor, or you don’t know what a pain my boss is etc. I get it. I really really do. People can be difficult. But if you think about the first three points ie. developing empathy, understanding suffering and practicing kindness you will come to a point where instead of feeling anger towards the difficult boss you will feel compassion towards him….because you have felt empathetic towards him and understood his suffering too. You will understand that he was not born angry, but his life circumstances made him such. And when you reach that point of compassion, you will forgive all those angry bosses, those bullies, those difficult people.

See how becoming kinder and more compassionate can be such a blessing. Go on paint the world heavenly with your kind and compassionate heart. The world NEEDs more people like you!

What are YOUR thoughts on becoming kinder and more compassionate? Have you practiced kindness lately? Share your beautiful thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to learn from you.

Thank you so much for stopping by! If this article touched your heart, please share it on facebook, twitter, etc. with your loved ones and pass on the positivity and love. I appreciate your help and support!

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Other recent positive articles you will love:

• Why Compassion Is Necessary for Your Own Happiness
• 25 Quotes to Ignite Compassion from Within
• How Compassion gives you Strength to Deal with Challenges
• Compassion Begins with YOU
• Do You Celebrate Your Abundance Each Day?

With Immense Love, Light & Gratitude,
~Zeenat~

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