The Difference Between Mindfulness And Compassion

I admire self-aware, centered people who just seem to have it all figured out. And, sometimes they drive me crazy when they don’t DO anything about it. They act like being mindful is enough, all by itself.

Mindfulness is a powerful practice to gain awareness, accept and manage emotions, and get centered. It helps you turn and face internal experiences with openness and curiosity instead of judgment.

Compassion is the process of struggling with yourself and others in a productive way, maintaining dignity, to produce something amazing.

Mindfulness can help with the first step of compassion; Openness.

Openness is confident transparency. It means accepting and valuing yours and others’ emotional experiences without judgment.

That’s only step one.

Compassion is more than a state of being. It’s a process of taking full responsibility for your emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

The next step is Resourcefulness, which is about problem-solving. Whether your challenge is internal, a relationship between you and a co-worker, or leading a team, the active part of compassion starts assessing the situation, taking stock of resources, and making decisions on next steps.

The third step is Persistence. This is the work of discernment, boundaries, perseverance, and commitment. Without it, compassion falls down on the job, wilts under pressure, and loses its way when things get messy.

Mindfulness can be a great tool to get things started. If compassion is your goal, mindfulness will only get you so far. Take full responsibility by getting resourceful and persistent as well.

Copyright Next Element Consulting, LLD 2019

Find a Next Element certified compassion professional near you to take the next step.