The world might benefit from more compassionate acts and attitudes, and the change can start with you. Compassion is closely related to empathy. Empathy is about understanding and relating to someone else’s challenges. Compassion is the part of you that naturally wants to offer help. Without compassion, life as we know it would be very different. Compassion is part of what drives positive change in the world. It inspires us to assist people in their individual lives as well as on a global scale. Compassion is limitless and far-reaching. It can impact humans, animals, the planet, and future generations. It can enrich your life as well as the lives of those around you. Compassion is considered both innate and learned, 2015 researchTrusted Source says. And if you want to be more compassionate, specific strategies can help to enhance it. Finding your inner teacher Expressions of compassion don’t come easily to everyone. If that describes you, it doesn’t mean you lack compassion. According to Michael Kinsey, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist in New York City, behaviors you’ve learned throughout your life can get in the way of expressing compassion. “The first tip I would give anyone seeking to feel more compassion for others is to remember that it comes to you naturally,” he says. Unless you live with a condition that affects your ability to experience empathy, Kinsey notes that “finding compassion is just a matter of returning to your natural state of being.” Connecting with your inner essence can help you be more compassionate by constantly reminding you to adjust your perspective in every situation and see things from your heart. Remembering self-compassion Self-compassion is real, though you may find it easier to show kindness toward others than to yourself. Albert Nguyen, a licensed psychotherapist from Palo Alto, California, recommends practicing self-compassion in small ways, like allowing yourself to rest when you’re tired. “Give yourself permission to take a break or to feel your emotions,” he advises, “and accept that you’re human. Give yourself encouragement. Take yourself out on a date. Write yourself a self-compassionate letter.” Even eating healthy and exercising can be considered forms of self-compassion, Nguyen says. Though research from 2017 suggests that self-compassion doesn’t necessarily boost compassion toward others, it can be an important tool in managing your overall well-being. Being wary of envy Envy can be the gatekeeper of compassion, warns Wakefield. If you want to be more compassionate, try to keep envy at bay. Envy is that feeling of resentfulness and longing for the blessings you see in someone else’s life. To help shift feelings of envy into a more helpful emotion, Wakefield recommends changing your perspective from envy to ambition. “Envy can be hard to deal with,...

  This is Kaden. He is 11 years old and has told his mom a few times that he does not want to live anymore. His mother asked me to post this and wants to let other parents know that she is having conversations with such a young boy about suicide. She is working with me and others to raise awareness around the fact that young children such as Kaden are getting dark feelings and are scared to reach out. Feeling ENOUGH is something we all struggle with, no matter what age we are. Prior to launching my first campaign billboard, I interviewed folks of all ages to learn about what the phrase YOU ARE ENOUGH means to them. The age group that was the most vocal were those in the 10 to 16-year-old range. I must admit that I was shocked to hear “kids” explain the pressure they feel to do enough in order to be seen and valued. We know social media is playing a huge role in depression, anxiety, FMO, isolation, and low self-esteem. When I met Kaden he was the quiet one watching life with such curiosity and a pained look while his twin brother was the life of the party. When I gave him a campaign wristband, he thanked me for helping him feel seen. When he put the hoodie on, he said that he felt so powerful because he could help others see that they are ENOUGH. He transformed before my eyes. His mom called me last night to say that he had not taken the hoodie off since I gave it to him a week ago. He is now on a mission to help other kids feel that they got this and they are not alone. We definitely need more Kaden’s out there, helping kids feel into their ENOUGH, and I am on a mission of my own to work more closely with schools to find these young mental health...

I had a woman reach out to me this morning who wanted to talk about how the YOU ARE ENOUGH billboard that has been up in Redondo Beach for the past two months has kept her going after she lost her 11-year-old son to suicide over the Christmas holidays. She talked about the shame she feels and how she has isolated herself from the world because it hurts too much to see how people around her seem to be happy. She feels alone, defeated, and says that she can barely breathe. She explained through tears how the billboard is like a shrine to her son and that he is telling her that she is ok and that she needs to take care of herself. She feels depleted but she also feels hope. She sent me this picture of the board and explained how the board feels like a human hug because it was launched due to strangers donating to get it up. This is what societal healing is all about. I love working on this campaign because it gives me hope that we can come together to heal and unite at a time when our country seems to be getting more divided. People need people to remind them that they are seen, loved, and supported. We need to feel connected and this billboard campaign is proving to help so many feel that they are not alone and that someone is watching over them. It’s time to get these boards up around the country while so many of us are struggling to feel into our ENOUGH....

    Societal Healing may sound like a woo-woo phrase but in reality, it is what it sounds and looks like it is.   While going through a pandemic, political, social, and climate chaos and unrest, our country is torn apart.  There is so much anger, hatred, fear, and hurt amongst so many Americans and many are feeling less hope and are turning against one another as they try to find ways to cope with the discomfort.  Instead of turning to one another for support, many are turning against one another.  What many of us forget is how we all just want to be seen, loved, and understood.  We all hurt from time to time and have our own stories and journeys. This is one reason I started the campaign, YOU ARE ENOUGH.  After working on this campaign for two years now, which is simply about helping people not feel alone when it comes to feeling worthy, I now see how it is becoming a SOCIETAL HEALING campaign.  Since the campaign is donation-based where people are donating to get billboards that read YOU ARE ENOUGH up across the country, we are building a family that is sharing love and support forward.  This is a SHARE IT FORWARD campaign and is one that everyone, yes, EVERYONE can relate to.  Now is the time to heal our country and as individuals, we can each find ways to share it forward with others whether it is smiling at a stranger, paying for someone’s cup of coffee, volunteering time to help others, or giving a loved one hug to let them know you appreciate them.  The hashtag #weareinthistogether is so timely yet so broken right now.  How can you find a way to bring people together for good?  How can you help others know that they are worthy and loved?   Think about this as you watch our country become more segregated, filled with anger and despair.  Now is the time to be here for one another.  We are all we...