Sometimes it\u2019s hard to understand why some people can be such\u2026assholes.<\/p>\n
I consider myself to be a pretty compassionate person. I\u2019ve invested in the development and cultivation of understanding and kindness I can meet the world with more resonance and harmony. But even still, every so often I encounter someone who really gets under my skin. When that happens, I remind myself of this little gem. It has helped me find compassion for even the most tremendous assholes:<\/p>\n
\u201cAll acts are expressions of love, either as skillful statements or calls for love in disguised forms.\u201d <\/em>– Alan Cohen<\/em><\/p>\n Seeing the world through that lens explains a lot doesn\u2019t it? It explains why some people insist on playing that tired old role of martyr or victim. It explains why some people must win at all costs. It explains why kids throw tantrums. It explains overachievement. Competitiveness. Jealousy. Addictions. Social media obsessions. All just calls for love. Clumsy ones. Desperate ones. Ugly ones. But calls for love nonetheless.<\/p>\n The truth is, we all just want to be loved.<\/p>\n So let\u2019s bring more awareness and consciousness to the ways in which we are asking for love. Notice your behaviours and look for opportunities to be a little more honest about what you\u2019re really seeking. Seek out opportunities to express your love as a skillful statement.<\/p>\n And when we witness an act that is a \u201cdisguised call for love,\u201d let\u2019s see it for what it is. Simply recognising that someone is feeling unloved, outcast, small, alone or disregarded instantly softens our stance and melts away the armour so that at the very least, we can meet them with more compassion. And at best, we can use the opportunity to respond to their call (however clumsy it may be), rather than reject it, thereby breaking a cycle and creating a healed dialogue.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not saying you have to go and embrace every asshole in your life. I\u2019m just saying, remind yourself that what we are all seeking is the feeling of that four-letter word. Then, see if you can make love both your skillful statement and your graceful response. Because assholes need love, too. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m pretty compassionate. But when I encounter someone who gets under my skin, I remind myself of this gem…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n