12 Steps in the Right Direction

Many moons ago I engaged in the exercise of formulating a "personal mission statement". It was extremely difficult for me to get to the bones of what my life was about, but I persisted and came up with something of a statement of my values or my purpose in life.

Part of the exercise was to imagine what others might say about me after my death. I discovered that I wanted compassion to be recognized as a hallmark of my life. And in the same way that you notice red cars after you determine a red car is what you would like to have, I began to notice compassion in the world and in myself.

Now, let's be clear. I have not always demonstrated compassion, even when I have felt it powerfully. I have failed to exercise compassion probably as often as I have succeeded. But I am continuing on this path that I started walking down all those years ago with that "personal mission statement" exercise.

Today I took another step and I affirmed the Charter of Compassion spearheaded by Karen Armstrong because every word of it resonates with who I am and why I am here and what I hope most fervently for all of us.

I am currently listening to the first disc of five of Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. I believe it will be helpful to me. I may write more about it later. Or not. Depends on which seems the more compassionate course of action...