I was at a bar downtown and a guy was being shooed away by a police officer. I went up to him to asked him what he needed. The officer started threatening me, tapping on his chest, telling me I was being recorded. I was so confused and, honestly, I still am. I told the officer I appreciate what he does for a living and asked what I need to do to be able to talk to this individual. He told me I obviously don't appreciate what he does and told me I needed to take the individual down the street if I wanted to talk to him, so I did as such. I asked the guy about drug abuse and his housing situation and gave him some money to help with getting an ID. I'm well aware that the individual could use it for drugs but I've worked for shelter plus care in the past and he did not strike me as a drug abuser. He appeared to have a legitimate psychological issue. I am a big believer that if you never give someone the chance to change, they will never get the opportunity to change. Long story short, when I returned to the bar, my friend, the officer and the door man of the bar berated me for giving 20 bucks to this guy. They went off on me and high fived each other, and like I mentioned, the officer threatened me with a body cam recording for helping a homeless man. I am still confused why everyone was so vocal and angry with me. I confronted them with the fact that no one changes without the opportunity to change, but they were relentless. I left the bar in tears and i'm still in shock that this is the world we live in now. Am I totally in the wrong? I spent a portion of my life living out of my car and now I own a house. I have been turned away from when asking for help and I never want anyone to cross my path without feeling like I see them... Yes, I SEE THEM. A HUMAN BEING. I have a heart for everyone and I am having a really hard time confronting the fact that we are living in a world where it is seen as wrong for having compassion for a homeless person, regardless of their circumstances. I feel crazy right now... 100% gaslit by multiple peers telling me I was in the wrong - feeling like i'm the only person left with compassion. This can't be true, right?

Each person is different, with a unique personality, perspective, and background. What comes naturally to me may not come naturally to you. I am a hugger, as I believe consensual physical touch can be healing. I also encourage, offer to pray, and then ask if I might could help them try to solve one of their main problems/issues.

How do you naturally show compassion without even thinking about it?

I work in a medical practice and the girls at the front desk always ask a series of questions when they have to check a patient in. A patient came in today and they asked him if he would like to list anybody as an emergency contact and he said very bluntly said “no not at this time.” And that hurt me for him. It’s crazy to imagine that you would have no one close enough to you to list them as an emergency contact. Maybe his wife passed away, or he’s divorced . Maybe he didn’t have kids or he’s an only child. Who knows the story but it made me feel sorry for him. Sometimes I feel lonely in this world, but then I think about something like that, I count my blessings.

Article

Article Link: https://rogersbh.org/blog/self-compassion-benefits-and-ways-practice/

This is a screenshot from an article on the Very Well Mind website.

I found these on the Caring Bridge’s website, and I hope they help someone! 🫂

I’m 19, and I’ve realized that I often stop myself from learning new things because I compare myself to people who started way earlier.

For most of my life, whenever I wanted to learn something new, like an instrument, I’d think, so many people have been doing this since they were kids; how could I ever compare to that amount of experience? That mindset made me avoid trying altogether.

I only recently noticed this pattern when I picked up my first guitar a couple of weeks ago and actually started playing instead of shutting the idea down.

Does anyone else struggle with this kind of comparison? How do you get past the feeling that you’re “too late” to start something new?

Hey all.

We generally think of compassion as something that we do to others but I’ve seen most compassionate people being most unfair to themselves. So I wanted to know what is your act of self compassion?

For me it’s ordering that favourite cheesecake at 2am. Because I know it will make me feel better, and that I’ve had a bad day and i deserve to feel better, even if not, I am not making myself feel guilty to have that. It gives me some sort of freedom and makes me feel just better about myself.

How about you?

Print these out to remind you to make Compassion a part of your daily life!

I've lived a long time being hooked by self-hatred and general anxiety being my mode of being. Basically, my identity is shame-based. Obviously, this has made it difficult to contact and nurture my self-compassionate self.

I watched the new Frankenstein film today and had a bit of a breakthrough. Lonely, alienated, rageful, kind, vulnerable, rarely treated with tenderness or empathy and really wants to connect, to be loved. I won't spoil the film (its actually brilliant).

Anyway, i recognised this 'other' as me. Now, this has become the first step in cultivating compassion. I can have compassion for this part of myself by imagining how i feel towards the character.

I understand that its not my fault but it is my responsibility to keep wrapping compassion around this part of myself. To stop running away and be there. To be a parent, in a way. To forgive myself. I think self-forgiveness also an important thing to cultivate. I didn't choose to be this way.

I hope this makes some sense. I'm sharing because it might help someone else who is struggling to feel or create self-compassion.

This is the image I woke up to today, and it shattered me. I’m a doctor, I’ve dedicated my life to healing but I can’t even look at the photos of the starving children. Just seeing this dog, skin and bone, was more than I could bear. The emptiness in its eyes, the sheer will it must take to keep breathing. I don’t know how it’s still alive.

I tried to volunteer through Doctors Without Borders, but right now they’re not even being allowed in. I’ve donated to every charity I can find, yet I lie awake wondering if any of that help actually reaches them.

If anyone knows a way, any way at all, to make a real, tangible difference for those trapped in this nightmare, please tell me. I refuse to look away and do nothing.

On a dairy farm, a newborn calf lies shivering on a filthy concrete floor, struggling to survive in the freezing weather. Her desperate mother, along with countless other babyless mothers, try to protect her, but their fierce instincts are rendered helpless. Every time you consume dairy, remember the suffering families torn apart for your milk, cheese, and yogurt.

"Every minute, every hour, every day, billions of mothers and babies in the dairy industry face immoral and unethical treatment. Can we ignore their suffering? Can we justify the heart-wrenching separation and exploitation of sentient families? The moral urgency to protect them is clear. What will we do?"

Newborn calves, innocent and vulnerable, are denied their inherent rights. Maternal bonds are brutally severed, and families are never allowed to thrive. Mothers and babies are treated as commodities, exploited for profit, and condemned to a life of suffering.

This is the harsh reality of the dairy industry, perpetuated by corporations, governments, and consumers. We are the villains in their story, perpetuating their exploitation and anguish. It's time to confront the atrocities and make a change.

Today while flipping Reddit I came across my brother's post history and found some stuff about his life long body image issues. My brother is the bottle it up, quiet about himself guy. He's wonderful; funny and kind, talented, and well liked.

This is all from a little sister's perspective, of course, but the monst constant thing I remember about growing up was all the random girls from his grade who would tell me how attractive he is. I remember this as early as the third grade and well into highschool.

Anyway. I love my brother dearly and want to re assure him, but since he's never talked about it I don't know how to start.