Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he had been asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a 4-year-old child whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy joined the old gentleman in his garden, climbed onto his lap and sat there.
When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said: "Nothing. I just helped him cry."
Compassion is at the heart of every little thing we do. It is the dearest quality we possess. Yet all too often, it can be cast aside, with consequences too tragic to speak of. To lose our compassion, we lose what it is to be human.
Although compassion seems to be a waning art these days, we can choose to show it to others through kindness. Kindness should not be confused with weakness. Quite the opposite, kindness demonstrates basic decency and respect that reflect a willingness to get along with someone, even when you disagree with them.
Contrary to the common saying, nice people can often do finish first. No one wants to work with or do business with someone who treats them rudely or disrespectfully.
It's a funny thing about kindness: The more it's used, the more you have. The smallest act of kindness can have a significant impact on a person's life.
Other things to show compassion:
