Compassion: A Transforming Experience

Have you heard of Alive and Free Consulting?

I was introduced to this business from a friend many years ago, and their podcast and teachings have been deeply impactful to me as I’ve navigated different inflection points in my life.

The work of Sammi and Spencer Robbins has taught me the power and influence of understanding our emotional landscape as Christians. I find that oftentimes Christians are spiritually very in tune, but emotionally, not so much. I’ve definitely been there, and I’ve seen firsthand the impact that has made on me.

I’ve learned from them that emotional maturity is understanding our life stories and how our emotions impact others. I see it as being self-aware and others aware at the same time, holding space for both my emotional life and the emotional spaces of others.

And something that I’ve really come to deeply appreciate about Alive & Free too is how often the Robbins talk about meeting ourselves in moments of emotional pain with love and compassion. They speak often of how transformative this experience can be for us, to meet ourselves with compassion when we’re triggered, in pain, or just want to crawl up and hide in a hole of despair. That is what brings true healing.

Compassion is essential to our flourishing and freedom. When I think of the word “compassion” I think of meeting myself and others with deep curiosity, holding space for their pain, and offering the gift of my presence to whatever myself or others may be experiencing in that moment. Compassion opens the door to true healing and freedom. And compassion is a gift that we can give to each other.

The literal definition of the word is fascinating to me: compassion is “suffering with others.” It is “a deep awareness of the suffering of others accompanied by the wish to relieve it.” Wow. This is a blog post for another time entirely, but suffering is gift too, and something that reminds us how deeply human we are. And when we engage our suffering and the suffering of others with compassion, I find that that can be a balm to a weary soul.

I know we’ve all heard of the age-old phrase that “hurt people hurt people.” Turning that phrase on its head though makes me really happy. The opposite of this I believe is also true; “healed people heal people.” We meet others with compassion, and that can lead to their flourishing too. What a gift and a blessing it is to choose kindness, and to have people in our lives who meet us in our pain with that same energy and affection.

Compassion. It’s a transforming experience, and one for the absolute better of ourselves and others. What a gift that compassion exists. And what a gift it is too to heal.

Grateful for Alive & Free today, compassion, and everything the Robbins have taught me about the beauty and blessing of understanding emotions. It’s a gift to live alive and free.