Step 2:  Compassion

The second step in our 4-Steps^TM approach allows us to acquire the necessary skill of compassion.  What is compassion?  It is the awareness of distress or suffering, our own or someone else’s, combined with the active intention to be kind and helpful. Turned inward, that is self-compassion.

You can listen to this lesson as a recording, or read it below.

Becoming compassionate is necessary because as we become more aware of what is going on we can become very judgmental of ourselves.  This judgment is not helpful and causes us to remain stuck and unmotivated to move forward.  When we acknowledge our emotions and remind ourselves to be kind and helpful it allows us to think more clearly.  It also gives us room to try other approaches and move forward more skillfully.

Compassion for Your Younger Self

You can direct compassion toward yourself as you are now. You can also direct it toward a younger version of yourself.

Many of the beliefs we carry about ourselves were formed when we were very young, at a time when we did not have the perspective or the tools to question them. If a difficulty seems to go back to your upbringing, bring to mind yourself as a child and offer that younger self the care and understanding you needed then. You might say, “I see you. I know it was hard. I am here now.”

Both are compassion. Use whichever fits what you are working with.

With practice, we can build this compassion skill.

Next, we will look at a practice method that is especially useful for compassion: mirror work.