Courage and
Compassion: Two Master Keys to Happiness
and Contentment in 2020.
Dr.
Fr. Davis George
We are often in a relentless pursuit to be happy at
any cost by focusing on external things, people and situations. Often fleeting
moments of happiness do not bring the contentment in life and make us think
what the key to happiness is. Happiness is an inside job. Beginning of the New
Year is the grace filled time to revisit our life style and make life style
changes.
Courage to face
challenges in life
One Day Thomas Edison Came home and gave a paper to
his mother. He told her, “My teacher gave this paper to me, and told me to only
give it to my mother”. His mother’s eyes
were tearful as she read out the letter aloud to her son: Your child is a
genius. This school is too small for him and doesn’t have enough good teachers
for training him. Please teach him yourself.
Many years after Edison’s mother died and he was one of the greatest inventors of the century. One day he was looking through the old family things. Suddenly he saw the folded paper in the corner of the drawer in a desk. He took it and opened it up. On the paper it was written: Your son is addled (mentally ill). We won’t let him come to school any more.
Many years after Edison’s mother died and he was one of the greatest inventors of the century. One day he was looking through the old family things. Suddenly he saw the folded paper in the corner of the drawer in a desk. He took it and opened it up. On the paper it was written: Your son is addled (mentally ill). We won’t let him come to school any more.
Edison cried for hours and then wrote in his diary:
“Thomas A. Edison was a mentally deficient child whose mother turned him into
the genius of the Century.” It takes
courage to respond to an expected turn of events as Thomas Edison’s mother did. Courage is a positive response to a seemingly
insurmountable situation where we are often tempted to give up and blame
others.
After the death of Moses, Joshua had to take up the
leadership of the people of Israel and was frightened as no one could match the
towering personality of Moses. God
reassured him that he will not be left alone and God will walk with him. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will
be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) Confronted with sickness, failures,
betrayal, let downs we often loose courage and feel paralyzed and lonely
within. Then we are tempted to give
up. We fumble, falter, fail and fall
unable to surmount challenges within and without. It could be challenges at
home with your spouse, children, aged parents; Emotional problems or financial
problems; work place challenges or future concerns. Courage is what you need. The
ability to whisper, “This also will pass.” One day at a time sweet Jesus as the
song goes. As it is written in the Bible,
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will
strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.
(Is 41:10) We do not know what the future holds but one thing we know that our
future is in Gods hand. Fear is a paralyzing feeling and we need to overcome by
building self confidence and confidence in God.
If God is for us, who can be against us?
(Romans 8:31) “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”(Heb
13:5) Tough times don’t last; tough people do.
Winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win.
“When things go
wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit…” ~ John Greenleaf Whittier
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit…” ~ John Greenleaf Whittier
Compassion can
build bridges in relationship
The story of one glass of milk can inspire all us to
be more sensitive and compassionate. One day, a poor boy who was selling goods
from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin
dime left, and he was hungry. He decided
he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a
lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked
hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then
asked, How much do I owe you?"
You don't owe me anything," she replied.
"Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said ... "Then I thank you from my
heart." As Howard Kelly left that
house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was
strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Many years’ later that same young woman became
critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the
big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the
consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light
filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and
went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at
once. He went back to the consultation
room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special
attention to her case. After a long
struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the
final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, and then wrote something on
the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was
sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked,
and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these
words... "Paid in full with one glass
of milk" (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.
Many relationships are broken; many dreams are
shattered because we have not been taught to practice kindness and compassion
in life. Families are not run and homes
are not built by establishing who is right and who is wrong. It is often compassion; empathy, forgiveness
and understanding that would build relationships. Self sufficient and self
righteous attitudes can stifle the growth of intimacy. Indifference and apathy
can be like slow poison which can kill any relationship.
Jesus was a man of compassion. Moved with compassion, Jesus fed 5000 people
with 5 loaves and 2 fish; raised the only son of a poor widow from death;
healed many people with infirmities. Befriended
and transformed the lives of those on the periphery, the Samaritan woman, the woman
caught in adultery, Mathew the Tax Collector and host of others. The parable of
the Good Samaritan is the best illustration of what we all need to practice in
actual life.
Dalai Lama said, “Love and compassion are necessities,
not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive. When we feel love and
kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but
it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace. If you want to be happy,
practice compassion. “We need to look beyond our pain and feel others pain and
plunge into action. How true, “There is no exercise better for the heart than
reaching down and lifting people up.” ―
John Holmes
Only a courageous person can practice
compassion. Only a compassionate person
can be courageous without feeling insulted or humiliated. Courage and compassion are two pillars of
interpersonal relationship and family life.
Parents have to practice these two important virtues and teach their
children to practice the same. Often
modern man lacks resilience because he has been always brought up within the
comfort zone. Modern society often glorifies
culture of violence, hatred and indifference. We need to go beyond our comfort
zones and break the shell of self righteousness and self-centredness and become
people who care about others needs and challenges. We need a revolution of
tenderness as Pope Francis said. In today’s we do not need selfish intellectual
giants but sensitive human beings who can reach out, touch and heal the broken
world; and practice courage and compassion in daily transactions. This could be a wonderful New Year gift we
give to others, Courage and Compassion.
Courage to do the right thing without counting the cost and to be
compassionate without any conditions.
Violence and bloodshed, murder and suicide, loneliness and depression,
hatred and jealousy are all results of lack of inner courage and inability to
deal with persons and situations with empathy, kindness, forgiveness and
compassion. Going beyond the boundaries
of caste, creed and nationality we need to cultivate compassion and become
better human beings. “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile,
a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of
caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ― Leo Buscaglia.
Happy New Year.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Fr. Davis George, Director (Former Principal, St.
Aloysius College),
St. Aloysius Institute of Technology, Near Ekta Market,
Mandla Road, Jabalpur (M.P.).PIN- 482 001. Mob: 9425152081, Email: dgoerge55@gmail.com,
Websites: www.saitjbp.in www.frdavis.in
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