My message is always the same: to cultivate and practice love, kindness, compassion, and tolerance.
How do we bridge the gap between appreciating a quote like this and actually applying its wisdom in our day-to-day lives? We constantly encounter opportunities to avoid ”cultivating and practicing love, kindness, compassion, and tolerance.” Like with that guy at work who always has the answer, and never stops talking. Or the distracted driver who almost caused an accident when she cut you off. Or the staunch conservative/liberal acquaintance who readily shares their political or religious views with you, but gets angry when you try to do the same. And on and on.
As many more eloquent than I have said, our most powerful defense against being emotionally tossed around by people and circumstances is our power of choice. Today, before going out into the world, I’ve resolved to stay peaceful and tolerant no matter what the day brings. Join me in this – not because of the Dalai Lama’s quote, or because I peppered it with paltry pop psychology. Do it because it feels good.
