Compassionate Awareness
The way in which we see ourselves changes everything.
There were so many years that my identity felt meshed with my emotions and sensitivity. The way I interpreted the messages from the world around me was that there was something off with me, it was too much. I began to identify myself as someone who was “too emotional”, like it was something defective about me.
I recently had a moment where I warned someone about this part of me. However, I have really grown to love the sensitive heart I have because it makes me who I am. And in reflecting upon that moment, I found that I truly no longer want or need to “identify” with being an emotional person. At least not in the same way.
This last year, I have been practicing the embodiment of a compassionate awareness, and I can see how beautiful the emotions of this human experience really are. Through this lens of compassion I have shifted to seeing myself as the one who experiences the emotions with an open heart instead of with judgment. We are all human and therefore, emotions are a part of this beautiful life.
It is important to note that we can’t control what comes up for us. Emotions rise up without warning sometimes but we can control how we meet ourselves in the moment. If we identify too much with the emotion, we are overtaken and no longer in control. There is a difference between feeling engulfed and reactive within the energy verses standing as a steady compassionate anchor while we notice what we are feeling.
Creating awareness around this takes time, patience, and love.
Even just today, when I was talking with someone, I felt some things come up in the moment that I wasn’t able to fully control. Within reflection, I can see why that may have been there for me and I can do my best to offer compassion to myself while also taking the necessary action to find peace within the situation.
The awareness of compassion meets us with grace. We begin to see ourselves with an open heart because we know that we are doing the best with what we have.
The beautiful thing is, when we start to see more through the lens of compassion we radiate that out. The ripple effects of this shift and allowing life to move through you, radiates and allows others to show up and be themselves.
Having a compassionate awareness for yourself when moving through life is crucial to our growth and healing. We won’t move forward if we continue to criticize ourselves. Judgment is the wall that blocks us from receiving this moment fully. It stops the process and then we feel stuck.
I invite you to notice the moments you FEEL a lot. The emotions are here to teach you something. Even if it is looking at it in hindsight, the reflection will begin to shine a light forward on the areas you can grow and expand. This path forward isn’t about perfection but rather a path of allowing. Allowing yourself to mess up and to not get it right. Allowing yourself to cry and feel what you feel, even when it doesn’t fully make sense. Allowing yourself to grow from the challenging moments instead of getting stuck in judgment.
Compassion allows us to be us
Breathe that in. You can be YOU.
Compassion welcomes you with open arms. All parts of you are valid and may you see yourself through the lens of a compassionate awareness.
And as always, Shar(e)on Lightly