Weekly Reset: Compassion Is Not Weakness

Repairing the world requires one small act of compassion at a time.

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” — Desmond Tutu

The world today feels like a hostile place.
Anger.
Fear.
Hatred.
For others —
and sometimes, even for ourselves.

Brutal honesty?
We’re heading toward a dark place.
One of nihilism and apathy.
Realms where the corrupt can thrive.

Why?
Because they only thrive in a world where people don’t care.
The apathetic let them do what they want without consequence.
It’s a vicious cycle. A downward spiral.

But there is still hope.
There is a way out.

Like all things worth fighting for, it’s not easy.
It’s hard. Unforgiving. Requires sacrifice.

It may even mean doing things you never see the results of.
And yet, it’s also simple.

So simple it feels too easy.

The formula?
Answer every day with compassion.

---

The compassion crisis.

Covid changed the world.

Radically shifting the way we live.
How we communicate.
How we socialize.

Being isolated for months atrophied our ability to be compassionate.
All the small acts of kindness that used to stitch our days together disappeared.

Opening a door. Sharing a laugh. Offering a shoulder.

Without those daily opportunities,
we were left to ourselves.
Our own worries.
Our own needs.

That twisted synchronicity of isolation pushed us further into the “I” instead of the “We.”

Of course,
Covid also brought out the best in humanity.
Tremendous kindness. Deep compassion.

But being forced into a world of physical distance created an emotional distance too.

So how do we get it back?

---

Defining compassion.

Here are some of my favorite definitions:

“What is compassion? … the wish for all sentient beings to be free from suffering and its causes.” — Thubten Chodron

“How do we generate compassion? We begin by contemplating the difficulties of others, and then we put ourselves in their shoes.” — Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

“Understanding someone’s suffering is the best gift you can give another person. Understanding is love’s other name.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

“Karuna [Compassion] is… empathic appreciation of another’s suffering combined with a realistic commitment to do something about it.” — Ronald W. Pies

Summarized?

Compassion is the act of caring for others, and doing something about it.

It’s not enough to just feel bad.
Not enough to send “thoughts and prayers.”
Not enough to doomscroll and complain.

Compassion is an act.
It requires effort.

It’s a choice to move —
to rebel against the apathy consuming the world.

---

The ripple effect.

“There’s so much suffering and injustice in the world. How can I possibly make a difference?”
A common question. One I ask myself daily.

But here’s the truth a wise person once told me:
“You can’t change the world. You can change your world.”

Look around you.
Pause.

Notice the small interactions you have every day:

• At work.

• At home.

• At the grocery store.

• At restaurants.

• At after-school activities.

• On the road in traffic.

Every time we come in contact with another person, we have a choice.
To remain in our bubble,
or to enter their world and see through their eyes.

One person choosing compassion may not change everything.

But what about 3 people?
5? 100? 1,000?

Some research shows that if only 3.5% of a population acts,
change becomes inevitable.

Think about that. Just 3.5%.

What is 3.5% of the world?
Of your country?
Your city?
Your community?
Your family?

The smaller the circle, the less it takes to make a difference.
This should give us hope. Courage.

The greatest change begins with a single person in a single family.
Compounding over time.

---

Try This

This week,
I want to gently challenge all of us to be more compassionate.

Take one interaction.
One person.
One moment.
And choose compassion.

Every day. For seven days.

No examples this time.
Only you will know how to respond.
The experience itself will be enough.

At the end of the week,
write three sentences about your experience.

Consider how you felt at the start —
and how you feel now.

---

The world is a beautiful place.

Many consider the world harsh. Dark.
And they’re not wrong.
But that’s only one point of view.

Another is to see the world as a beautiful place.
One with cracks, blemishes, scars —
and still worth loving.

Our challenge is to choose.
To see the world as beautiful.
Worth living in. Worth loving.

By choosing compassion.
Every moment.
Every day.

Simple? Yes.

Incredibly difficult? Extremely.

Immeasurably rewarding? Absolutely.

All mapmaking begins with a single choice.
A single line on a page. A single step.
Choose the one that closes the gap.