成人快手

Good Morning.

Every day, the news brings us stories of ordinary people who have found themselves in extraordinary and often tragic circumstances. One of the reasons I find these stories compelling is that they challenge me to put myself in that person鈥檚 shoes. 鈥淗ow would I have responded? What would it feel like? What effect would it have on my life?鈥� And of course we can never really know.

The Buddhist teacher Pema Chodren tells a moving story of meeting someone who had been in an air crash. Understandably, the young woman鈥檚 instinct was to get out of the plane as quickly as possible. She was in such a panic that she didn鈥檛 stop to help a little boy who was tangled up in his seat belt. Afterwards, full of remorse and regret at the way she鈥檇 behaved, she sank into a three-year depression. However in the longer term it motivated her to start working with people in crisis. She used the experience to open her heart to others and become a more compassionate and courageous person.

I鈥檝e never been in an air crash, but there are plenty of occasions when I鈥檝e not behaved as well as I鈥檇 wished. It happens on a daily basis. What I鈥檓 gradually learning is that the most important thing is what I choose to do with these experiences. Do I sink into blame and self-judgment? 鈥淭ypical, you鈥檝e fallen short again!鈥� Or do I treat myself with sympathy and kindness, welcoming whatever insight I鈥檝e been given, and gently motivating myself to behave in a different way? Let鈥檚 pray that we can all use difficult experiences to increase our compassion for ourselves and for others.

听