“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” – Anonymous
Four years ago when I started on my journey into yoga (and ultimately deep self-discovery) I decided to create an acronym that encompassed a combination of characteristics I wanted to embody as an instructor and pass along to my students. It just so happened I had recently decided to bring a little four legged friend into my life at the exact same time; therefore, JACK was born. I named my new puppy Jack (yes we are Jack + Jill) and decided to use these letters to promote my life mantra – Joy … Affirmation … Courage … Kindness.
I felt at the time, and still feel now, that all four of these qualities were vastly important to my life however the one I continually feel needs to be more widespread is: kindness. The simple act of extending a small human gesture, allowing someone else to feel seen, heard, and worthy. It seems a universal theme among humans is to understand connection: connection with self, connection with others, and absolutely connection with nature/animals. The roadblock to connection is disconnection with self; being unable to understand and express personal wants, needs, and boundaries. This leads to pain of the inner self and reflects outwardly as negativity. Inadvertently, this negativity can have a ripple effect towards those we come in contact with. True companionship can only be achieved once inner work is done; our ability to love and care for another is contingent upon our ability to love and care for ourselves. When you are able to show up to your own life as the best version of yourself (even as you are discovering who that is) you are able to attract others who are on the same journey, who are craving inspiration, and who are willing to be totally human.
It leaves to me wonder what kind of world we would live in if everyone had the ability to view life through a trauma sensitive lens; instead if assuming someone is a jerk could that thought be re-framed to “that person must be experiencing pain” … instead of spreading negativity, is it possible to self-reflect and change the way in which we respond during hard times … instead of beating ourselves up when faced with challenge, let's make a promise to redefine “challenge” as an opportunity to gain knowledge, motivation, and growth.
Taking responsibility for our own behavioral patterns, being mindful of the way in which we interact with others, and proceeding with kindness and sensitivity are essential components to true companionship … let’s not forget about them.
As I am writing this post I am reminded of the reiki promise:
Just for today …
I will not be angry
I will not worry
I will be grateful
I will do my work honestly
I will be kind to every living thing
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