EP 405: Empathy, Compassion, and Well Being

When someone expresses themselves in an angry or threatening way, the first thing we do is act to protect ourselves. We retreat and we close down. Just wait for things to be safe again. But what if we do the opposite instead? If instead of retreating in fear, we open ourselves to understanding the reason for this person's behavior, we very likely will learn that they are acting from a place of suffering and fear themselves. And once we understand this, we become able to open up further and try to relieve this fear and suffering. When we remove the reason for this person's anger and aggression, we remove the threat to our own well being. This is how empathy and compassion work together to cultivate a deep level of well being and inner peace. Would you like to learn how to harness this power?