Where is Our Humanity, Humility & Compassion?

By Patricia DiVecchio, International Purpose

 “The mind is the most valuable thing in the world. But the deluded mind can be the most dangerous.” -‐ His Holiness the Dalai Lama

With a worldwide pandemic, unjust killings and shootings commonplace, and global warming increasing the world—our world—is in a period of tremendous upheaval and awakening. These and other extreme challenges are complex and will take all the knowledge, understanding, consciousness and wisdom our best minds have to offer in order to solve them.

The stability and health of our planet and its people, world economic markets and our peace of mind are at stake. Yet limiting beliefs, dysfunctional mindsets and outdated traditions still rule. Too many leaders and people in general operate with thinking based on insensitive limiting—thinking because it’s easier to maintain the status quo than it is to change.  

Even with global stability at stake, we aren’t always willing to dig deep enough to the core issues causing the problem. We either don’t have the tools, the willingness or the courage. What prevents us from moving forward? Fear.

1. Fear of losing something we see as having great value.
2. Fear of not getting what we want or what we think is the best for ourselves.
3. Fear of being found out. The old imposter syndrome: maybe we just aren’t what we say we are. Maybe we don’t actually have our people, clients’ or our country’s best interests in mind; maybe we aren’t really about helping others self--actualize; and maybe what is actually driving us is ego.

We’ve all invested a lot of time and effort in crafting our lives, our work and our organizations just the way we want them. We’ve built institutions, customs and livelihoods around the difficulties we face, so we are hardly going to let go of these or even change them for the better without a lot of kicking and screaming.

If we are driven by our fear and also our egos, then a greater sense of humanity, humility and compassion have no place to bloom. Somehow, these very human attributes have gotten downplayed as drivers in our world. We dismiss them as being too ‘soft.’ You may be doing that now as you read this piece. You may consider them to be impractical and hardly a viable solution to complex global issues.

We tend to discard concepts when we don’t truly understand their value and application. But really, our sense of greater humanity, humility and compassion are the most powerful tools we have – and often are the most difficult to implement.

So, where and how do we incorporate these attributes into our daily work and lives? Here are 3 steps:

1. Practice humility – In the end, we are all equals with a lot to learn from each other. Listen to others with ‘new’ ears that not only hear but acknowledge what others say. You have something to learn from them.
2. Accept the ways of others – It is too easy to make others wrong so we can feel right. People that are different than you may have something to teach you. This is hard to accept when we are leading from ego or fear.
3. Show compassion – First and foremost, for yourself and for others. Be easier on yourself. We in the international development community do not always practice good self-care.

This shift of attitude and mindset can contribute to a powerful physical and spiritual transformation in this world. Let’s stop being so regressive. Let’s champion being evolutionary instead.

Your Challenge: For the next two weeks, practice the three steps above. Work at turning those behaviors into new habits. Will it be hard? Yes. But remember, as humans, we’re genetically predisposed to be humble and compassionate. Set politics and prejudice aside, and your true inner nature will take over – if you nurture it.

 “The Vintage Man,” Hafiz, The Great Sufi Master

“The Difference Between a good artist

And a great one

Is:

The novice

Will often lay down his tool

Or brush

Then pick up an invisible club

On the mind’s table

And helplessly smash the easels and

Jade.

Whereas the vintage man

No longer hurts himself or anyone

And keeps on Sculpting Light”

(Respond to this email and share what you are feeling and experiencing – so we can all learn. Thank you.)

Patricia DiVecchio, CEO, International Purpose, www.internationalpurpose.com, [email protected], +1.703.200.3447, skype: patricia.divecchio