Deepak Chopra has said that to be spiritual we are suppose to be compassionate but with all the negativity and injustice we see around us, it’s easy for our egos to feel justified being judgmental and critical.He says when you find reasons to feel grateful to someone, you are bridging the gulf of separation between the two of you. You can’t be thankful and resentful at the same time. I am trying to be more aware of this not only at work but in my every day life.
It’s difficult to remember this when you are dealing with stressful times either with your co-workers or your “superiors”. I love how that term has been deemed for the bosses. I am sometimes in the position of being “the boss” and find it difficult to lead and also not get caught up in the demands of the job. Deepak’s reminder that you can’t be thankful and resentful at the same time rings very true for me.
There are times when I forget the thankful part and just focus on being resentful. My feelings are hurt because I take everything so personally. And then I am focusing on me. Part of trying not to be so co-dependent is to focus on what is good for my welfare. Yet being sympathetic towards the other person is part of being compassionate.
Makes my head spin to make sense of it all. It’s like trying to find an end to infinity. There just isn’t any. I want to “help” all the time and what I am realizing is that people don’t always want help or my help. And my need to think they do is part of the co-dependency.
Which brings me back to compassion. Because when you are thankful for the lessons they bring to your life then compassion can have a fighting chance of winning. The feeling I get from knowing that I may have helped someone in whatever capacity makes me grateful. It comes full circle.
I’m far from deciphering from the two…co dependency and taking care of myself. But again, Deepak Chopra has it right when he says, “When I have no judgement, I see everyone with kindness.”