This connectivity often is an act of compassion—compassion defined as understanding, not sympathy or empathy, but open, accepting understanding. And in the swirl of complexity and pressure and ambiguity that is so often commonplace in our lives, making this spaciousness, I have found, requires deliberate intention and a commitment to prioritize its importance. But, if we take a few moments, perhaps right now, to consider those times when we felt understood, it might bring to our mind, body and heart a kind of warmth and ease, whether or not our view ultimately prevailed. And we might also recall that those moments seem to be increasingly rare in our culture. Are there challenges, meetings, projects right now that might benefit from the spaciousness of allowing everyone to be heard, and perhaps to be understood? I know from my own experience that time pressures can often make this seem like an impossible choice. But, I also know that something is often lost, perhaps my opportunity to “inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.”
