In light of the events that have been happening in our country these past few months, we need to be more compassionate. Now for me and many of the people I know are, for the most part, compassionate. South Dakotans are people who are kind, helpful, and faithful to our State. We are willing to help whenever we can.
I try my best to be compassionate to others. Smiling and being pleasant is my motivation. I don’t judge people. I help others before myself.
Sometimes that can be a detriment to me because I can be naïve and trust people too much.
So I thought it would be fitting for this week’s blog to talk about a few ways to be more compassionate to others. I am not a doctor or minister. I am only sharing from my life experiences and opinions.
Take a Break from Social Media and News
When social media first hit the Internet, it was a way for us to post family photos, dog photos, and updates on our lives. A way to find old friends, classmates, and make new friends. In the few years it has been in existence, it has morphed into something unrecognizable.
The Tech companies have taken control our personal information, using it against us, becoming politicized and can censor what we say.
My husband, for no reason except liking a photo on my sister in law’s post, was deleted from Facebook. There was no notice or reason why this was happening. Poof! He was off Facebook forever.
He even went through all the proper steps several times to regain his profile. Emails were not returned and, of course, there is no customer service phone line to call.
Because of this I have distanced myself from social media. I am considering deleting my accounts. Right now I only keep my profile to add viewers to my blog. I don’t post anything personal but my blog posts.
National news is not news anymore. It has become a platform to voice their political feelings on a big stage in video form. The news is spun in subtle and sensational ways to gain more viewers. Actual facts about news stories are put on the back burner.
Find Ways to Help Others
There are many people in our communities who need help.
- Work in a food pantry.
- Donate to charity.
- Give blood.
- Fill food bags for needy families.
- Help a neighbor with a project.
- Substitute teach.
- Volunteer at your church.
- Be a mentor for a child.
Check Your Emotions – Let It Go
I work with middle-school students, so you can imagine their emotions are EVERYWHERE!
They freak out about the littlest of situations. Many times when I need to talk to a student who is emotionally charged they are thinking about what they want to say next instead of listening to what I have to say. They want to make sure all of their emotions are out in the open.
One of the best pieces of advice I have given them is: If it won’t matter 5 hours from now, don’t worry about it now. Let it go.
I think adults need to do this too. We have become a negative, emotional society. We need to take a step back from our situation, take a breath, and pull ourselves together.
When we hold onto grudges, be selfish, and don’t listen to others’ viewpoints or ideas makes life much harder than it needs to be. We as a society need to take a step or two back and take a breath. When we do that we will have the mental clarity to do good in the world instead of tearing each other down. We can be more compassionate to each other if we just listen.
The other day I told my husband, “Our country just needs one, big dance party and get laid afterwards.” He laughed and said, “Not bad advice.”😉