“When we cultivate our capacity for balance and attunement,
we can experience joyful inner liberation,
no matter what the outer circumstances.” Jack Kornfield
"Love is omni-inclusive,
Progressively exquisite,
Understanding and tender
And compassionately attuned
To other [and] self." R. Buckminster Fuller [I replaced "than" with "and"]
attunement:
• bringing into a harmonious or responsive relationship;
• causing (a person, company, etc.) to have a better understanding of what is needed or wanted by a particular person or group;
• becoming aware or responsive;
• a feeling of being "at one" with others.
We are social beings, depending much more than we realize on society. We're completely connected in every way with everyone & everything. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this "interbeing". Another evocative term is "porousness".
The people with whom we choose to associate most closely form our social microclimate. The quality of the collective heart-mind or consciousness of this group has the greatest impact on our own heart-mind, consciousness, quality of life. Clearly, we must choose our friends & workmates carefully - our life depends on them.
We've all seen decent people led astray by lousy friends. The most tragic examples are apparently decent but troubled, marginalized youth, only able to find "friendship" online - in some cult, among fundamentalist extremists, 'Columbiners' etc.
Desperation, loneliness and impatience invariably result in terrible choices. If we don't take care of our troubled, marginalized children, brothers & sisters, sociopaths are eager to abuse them. We are our brothers' & sisters' keepers.
We not only need for ourselves, but must also provide for others, a social microclimate that nurtures our innate human kindness, goodness and wisdom.
See: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2015/02/adrift-in-oceans-of-choices.html
and: http://www.theawl.com/2012/10/the-killer-crush-from-columbiners-to-beliebers
"This is a moment of suffering.
The first phrase helps to mindfully open to the sting of emotional pain. (You can also just say "this is really hard right now" or "this hurts.")
Suffering is a part of life.
The second phrase normalizes our experience and reminds us that suffering unites all living beings and reduces the tendency to feel ashamed and isolated when things go wrong in our lives.
May I be kind to myself.
The third phrase begins the process of responding with self-kindness rather than self criticism.
May I give myself the compassion I need.
The final phrase reinforces the idea that you both need and deserve compassion in difficult moments."
