This short phrase came to me a while back (I actually had it confused with another term – more on that another time). I sat with those two words for a bit, and it has been in and out of my thoughts often. I wanted to notice and remember times I had seen those words play out.
I think we all have instances in our own lives or heard on the news things happening where we have not seen that example. It is too easy to hear about bullying, violence, and anger and hostility at every corner and in the news and on social media. But what if we started looking for, but more importantly exhibiting and practicing that gentleness in a very intentional, persistent way? What would the world look like?
I imagine what it looks like is watching myself and others respond to the things that happen in our everyday lives with calmness, compassion and an inner strength, and we consciously choose not to react, respond or behave in ways that provoke fear, anger or hostility.
I’ve recently been reading a very interesting and thought-provoking book called The Awakened Brain. It’s a book full of scientific research and includes stories of how our brains and minds work. I find the science of it all fascinating, but it’s the stories in the book that capture my heart. One sentence I really hold onto in the book states “it’s in our innate nature to build a better world.” It gives me hope to know we are born with that nature and that our brains are designed for caring and compassion.
A better world is something I think we all want and desperately need. How do we get there? Perhaps paying more attention and seeking ways we can be persistently gentle with others and even ourselves is the first step.
Lisamkurtz.com 