Compassion Creates A Place of Peace Within

Making peace with your inner enemies begins when we understand that there are no inner enemies, but rather, different inner voices attempting to move us toward a deeper understanding of ourselves and our deepest needs.  As each of these  counter-voices is acknowledged, accepted and brought to the surface and allowed to be expressed, it ceases to be problematic and, instead, it becomes an interesting ally.  You can feel your energy shift within yourself when you allow yourself to view your issues from this perspective.

An exercise that I employ and one that could work for you, is to picture yourself at your absolute worse--mean, harried, depressed, nasty, evil, ugly-acting, belligerent to the point of being a real B&%#.  Now, appreciate yourself for noticing how you feel and where you are, then tell yourself that you are still very loveable and forgive yourself for allowing the expression of even the worse of aspects of yourself. 

We are unable to forgive others for being their worse if we are not able to forgive ourselves.  Self forgiveness softens, dissolves negative feelings of bitterness and enlarges our ability to be compassion and accept the flaws of others around you.  Forgiveness is not about forgetting but it is about being able and willing to let go. It's coming to the realization that the hurt we have experienced is as a result of holding on to the painful way we have perceived them. 

Try recalling something you have done, said or thought that was against your better judgment.  Does this incident still haunt your memories? Is it causing you to suffer?  How willing are you to re-remember it?  How willing are you to hold on to the pain?  Observe how willing you are to hold onto the worse memories and make them larger than life!

We cannot show compassion toward other if we don't practice being compassionate toward ourselves.  Recognize your own struggle to attain happiness and avoid hardships and you become aware that we are all human, doing the best with what we have.  Immediately, you will begin to feel compassion for everyone around you, especially ones engaged in some of the same struggles you are dealing with.  These feelings of compassion allow us to do whatever is needed to bring awareness to a situation.  Compassion is not pity or sympathy but it is a way of looking at life and all humans and if everyone matters.

Breathe acceptance into yourself deeply and create that place within.  You can do it! I believe in you.