We are mostly responsible for most of our intense emotions. They arise each day from patterns we reinforced over a lifetime of distracted flame-fanning. Claiming responsibility for our most intense emotions takes courage, because claiming responsibility for intense emotions means being alone with those emotions, but in this conscious solitude we can also claim responsibility for our contentment, so we don’t put that on others either.
I practice compassion
With compassion, I free myself and others from suffering
With compassion, I help myself and others find peace and feel safe in this world
With compassion, I create contentment in this life
With compassion, I help myself and others flourish
With patience and good humour, I welcome people’s imperfections, and with patience and good humour, I welcome my own imperfections
With sympathy, I feel for those who suffer
With empathy, I mind what others are feeling and try to understand why, and I mind what I’m feeling and try to understand why
For myself and others, I seek wisdom
I nurture a broad perspective
I foster gratefulness
And I acknowledge that suffering and difficulties are part of life
This practice helped us claim responsibility for both challenging and sought-after feelings, well done😄