Compassion: The Ultimate Gift to Receive
by Andrea (Ann) Austin

Having compassion for oneself is the ultimate conundrum we face as a human species. It blocks our willingness to receive love, and let’s be real, love is the ONLY reason we came here. Everything else is a distraction.

Whoops, missed that part for most of life until the age of 42. And you?

I started by thinking I was to love everyone else but me, thinking that was love. Beating myself to be better, to give more, to be more instead of just being. Thinking that was what I was “supposed” to do. Leaving loving myself behind, like dust in the wind. That’s a song, right? I used to love that one.

I have come to realize that not loving oneself inside and out is like building a house with no foundation. And each time a storm comes along the house, or you, gets blown around in the wind. This is about stability. By loving oneself, one can take the hits, so to speak, in life without getting knocked over.

So, if you are blowing in the wind, so to speak, maybe it is time to look at love, self-love through the eyes of compassion and focus on you, getting you together and letting go of control or perceived control over the rest of the world.

If this time in the world has taught me anything, it is that we do not control ANYTHING. We can only choose to respond in love or fear, and we cannot respond in love if we cannot see through the eyes of compassion for ourselves, too.

Even as we observe what is going on right now in the world, we are running a lens of often seeing experiences as good, bad, or ugly instead of seeing them simply as experiences that are ALL just getting us back to love.

We are often taught that focusing on one’s self journey and passions is selfish, so we do not choose compassion or love of oneself. It’s like we are not contributing to the family or society if we focus ONLY on what we love instead of towing the party line, so to speak.

Where would that lead us if we were ALL willing to let go and listen for ourselves and not others?

Can we simply choose to see our experiences through the eyes of compassion instead of right or wrong?

What if everything was perfect as it is?

We have been taught that there is a right or wrong, a good or bad, and this has drawn a divisional line between all of us instead of realizing we are all connected. This is all just an experience, and we must consciously choose compassion and kindness to come back to love for ourselves and others if we are going to move forward as a species.

What question would you ask if you entered a room, or a conversation, with someone you love with openness, calmness, and clarity to explore your world and the worlds of others? What if there was only compassion and no judgment whatsoever in the world? How would that change our reality and the reality of those around you if you could see yourself through the eyes of love?

How do we do this?

Well, I wish I had the magic answer, but first and foremost, it requires choice. For me, it comes down to allowing, surrender, letting go, and making unconditional love the gateway of compassion to drive our realities and our experiences in the world.

Much love to everyone as we navigate these times, together, in love.

Andrea (Ann) Austin and Bill Little are co-founders of My Conscious Wellness, Love Evolution, and Clearly Conscious, three organizations that focus on the expansion of conscious awareness through love. As part of their organizations, they share the use of advanced consciousness-based tools designed to balance, harmonize, and strengthen our energy to support those who choose to step into love.
Explore their app at https://clearlyconscious.cardtapp.com
Explore more at Meet Ann and Bill.ca
Join the discussion at www.meetann.ca