Taking in the news can be perilous. When we hear of tragic events – bombings, earthquakes, shootings – it’s easy to become overwhelmed with difficult emotions like sadness, grief, fear, rage. Feeling powerless in the face of these heartbreaking disasters, we often don’t know what to do. What CAN we do?
Firstly, taking any action to support those who are suffering will help. Action is the antidote to despair (Joan Baez). Action helps those in need and it helps you. Volunteer, donate, call elected officials, or simply practice kindness to a stranger.
But we can also work in a more subtle way by actively practicing compassion.
We can call upon compassion in any situation where we encounter suffering, including our own suffering. Sharon Salzberg in her book, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, calls compassion,
“… the strength that arises out of seeing the true nature of suffering in the world. It allows us to bear witness to that suffering … without fear; it allows us to name injustice without hesitation, and to act strongly, with all the skill at our disposal. To develop this mind state of compassion … is to learn to live, as the Buddha put it, with sympathy for all living beings, without exception.
Michelle Stortz 