I am excited to share that I am about to embark on a new chapter in my career and life!
For the past year and a half, I’ve had the privilege of working at Family Research Council as a Development Writer and Assistant. What a wonderful season this has been, personally and professionally! I am so thankful for the incredible experiences I’ve had at FRC, the skills I’ve gained, the tremendous support I’ve received, and the deep friendships I’ve established.
Starting next week, I will be transitioning to a new position at Meridian International Center. While it is bittersweet to leave my FRC colleagues, I am thrilled for this new opportunity, and am looking forward to once again taking on a professional role with an international focus. MIC celebrates and advances diplomacy between countries worldwide. They accomplish this mission through cultural initiatives, leadership exchange, the arts, and much more. I will be serving as Meridian’s Memberships Manager, and couldn’t be more excited to play my small part in building bridges between nations and cultures. In particular, I am greatly anticipating future opportunities to partner with East African countries, where a part of my heart still lies!
Every new chapter in our professional and personal lives brings a sense of contemplation and reflection of the person we’ve become, the person we are, and the person we hope to be. And, in large part, this is tied to our developing character and consequently, our relationships with others. I am freshly aware this new year of one such character quality and virtue that I want to more steadfastly implement into my daily life: compassion.
It’s the Golden Rule, right? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Easier said than done!
Compassion is the art and application of sympathy. It is a reflection of “paskhein,” the Greek verb for “to suffer.” Our ability to enter into another’s sorrow, grief, challenge, trial, need, etc. I think compassion is often associated with ‘sad’ things…like, a death of a loved one, being physically ill, crying with someone, or acknowledging a disappointment or broken hope with another by just being there to listen to their hurt.
But, can’t Compassion also function as a virtue of entering into another’s joy? Making one’s own happiness YOUR own? I think so.
Break the word down. “Com” = with. “Passion” = a powerful, compelling emotion or desire.
Others’ emotions, ideas and desires aren’t always as compelling to us as they are to the other. That’s why we tend to pick friends who are passionate about similar things. That’s why it takes conscious efforts and tuned-in ears to listen to others talk about things that may register in our brains but not exactly in our hearts.
But, what if, in 2012, we were to zoom out on our own interests…our own deadlines…our own personal and professional demands, to see the bigger picture? To have compassion every day. No, I’m not just talking about giving $25 dollars to the orphan living in a third-world country. I’m talking about helping meet others’ needs and making them a success in the little things.
I think that I easily associate Compassion with a certain ‘feeling’ that has to be there in order to serve others and sympathize with them. But, I’m beginning to understand that Compassion is really an objective decision to take action, to give an ear, to bless another, to build another up with meaningful, specific, thoughtful words, and ultimately, to love. Feelings will ensue, I’m sure of it. Meaning, the feeling of truly embracing what is happening around and outside of us in such a way that hits home in our own hearts, not just the other person’s heart.
But, Compassion doesn’t – and shouldn’t – require us to “feel” like helping someone before we DO help them. And, perhaps that’s where it’s best to end this blog post with the words of Margaret Thatcher from the movie, “The Iron Lady.” She said:
“Be careful. Your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your character, and your character becomes your destiny.”