I'm a fan of Yogi Tea. Every tea bag comes with a quote. They are always calming and zen-like. Tonight, my quote was "Compassion creates understanding." It brought to mind something I learned this past year.
Sipping my Chardonnay one evening on the deck at Anthony's Homeport in Des Moines with my friend Melinda, she asked me if I had a personal mission statement. "No. What's that?" I asked. She shared three words that described how she wanted to live her life with a brief description for each. They had to do with integrity and honesty. I started thinking about what mine would be. About a week later I had them.
Passion – I live my life with passion, fully engaged and present in the moment.
Courage – I face each day with courage and resilience. That is how we learn and grow, by facing our fears and trials, not running from them.
I wrote these words on my bathroom mirror and looked at them every morning. One day, it dawned on me.
The sum of all three – passion + forgiveness + courage = compassion.