I want to talk to you about an unlimited resource we all possess.
Today, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a beautiful Harvard commencement speech by Donovan Livingston (Watch it Here).
Then I made the mistake of reading the comments.
When I was reading the comments below the video of Donovan's speech/spoken word performance, many of them (inevitably, it seems) turned to race. Some people took issue with the the race-related content in his speech. Some people took issue with other people's responses in which they took pride in seeing an eloquent, young black man share his beautiful work. Still others had a problem with people expressing the painful emotions they felt in remembrance of their ancestors, the indelible mark that slavery has left on this world, and the historical legacy that has bound its people.
To that I say... why does another person's pride or pain, anger you? Why does it threaten you? They are not hurting or shaming you. Instead of anger, choose compassion. Try empathy. Give peace a chance. Of course this is just one of the thousands of instances of internet anger that occur daily. In this case it was race. In others it's politics, or religion, or money, or hair colour, or clothing, or music, or quite literally, any other subject that people decide they should be angry about. Sometimes I am one of those people. But just hear me out anyway.
You see, we've been conditioned to care for, and empathize with who we know and what we know. Our family, our friends. Those who share a part of our identity. We can even manage to extend such feelings towards acquaintances. In many ways, this can be seen as a form of defence. To keep us from feeling too much. From being overwhelmed by the pain and suffering that exists in this world.
I am not an enlightened human being. In the grand scheme of things, I know nothing. I make mistakes, and I have many, many, many faults. Even so, I have this message for you today. One that, despite my inherent inadequacies as a human being, I hope you'll consider.
Human beings have an unlimited resource and it is compassion. It doesn't run out. It's not like you have to recharge your compassion battery every time you use it with someone, and have to wait before you can use it again. You can be compassionate for as long as you want if, and only if, you choose to. You just have to accept that you have it in you. Sometimes I wonder if using a physical symbol (the heart) for the intangible (emotions such as love) has limited us. We seem to believe that this physical object only has enough room for certain feelings. One can liken it to how incomprehensible the unending Universe can seem because everything we know in this world is contained inside something else. The idea of something being unlimited (with exception of breadsticks and salad bowls at the Olive Garden) is truly mind-boggling.
But I am here to tell you that your compassion is truly without bounds. It's like a muscle - the more you exercise it, the more it grows and the stronger it becomes. And frankly, the happier you become. If not for anyone else, do it for you. Be compassionate because it makes you feel better too.
I suppose one could argue that on the flip side, we have the unlimited ability to feel everything, including hate, anger, envy. But I'd like to believe that once you accept that you have an unlimited capacity to love, to be kind, and be compassionate - negativity becomes a pretty unattractive option.
Somehow, I doubt any one of us wants to constantly spiral down a pit of negative human emotion. Maybe that's just me?
I didn't think so.
