One word can make such a difference. ‘Sawubona’ – I see you – encapsulates a profound sense of being seen and heard. Yet you can’t do this without compassion and empathy. Because it means being present, not just glancing in passing, seeing beneath the surface and recognising both sameness and otherness. And this takes time … Read more
Coming home to ourselves is not about the shame of having gone away. It is a compassionate welcome for the essence of who we are that can finally flourish again. John O’Donohue captures it well: TO COME HOME TO YOURSELF May all that is unforgiven in you, Be released. May your fears yield Their deepest … Read more
Let’s hush the noise,tamp down the echoesand invite thegentleness of graceand the quietnessof compassionto say a few words.
On the wall above my desk, I have an excerpt from John O’Donohue’s Blessing for Matins: May I live this day Compassionate of heart,Clear in word,Gracious in awareness,Courageous in thought,Generous in love. + John O’Donohue, from Benedictus: A Book of Blessings, Bantam Press 2007 What might grow if we applied this to ourselves, rather than … Read more
Showing someone that you see them is the greatest gift you can give. This powerful quote is from Digby Scott, a wise and insightful change-maker from New Zealand. I look forward to his weekly musings, knowing they will refresh and stimulate me and remind me of our humanity. The story behind this phrase is delightful. … Read more
Did you know that holding sadness enables us to feel another’s pain? It’s called compassion. Because without compassion, our threads of connection are weak indeed. And therefore, we also lose out on joy. What a stunning cycle. Hidden in plain sight in a world that only wants to hear individual positivity. ~ Susan Cain’s new … Read more
Avoidance or inquiry,the choice is ours;curiosity or fear,we decide;protection or compassion,the way of our heart;open or closed,choose courage.
Sometimes we need shadows. Not as a place of escape or excuse, but of rest. In gentleness, where the angled light helps us uncover our own depths. Naming things that have profoundly shaped us without our consent. Because here is the place of unhurried compassion and grace. Breathing space for a life being restored.