Honesty with yourself leads to compassion for others.

Objective

To increase the amount of compassion on the world.

Expected results
A personal sense of peace.

Instructions
This exercise can be done anywhere that people congregate (airports, malls, parks, beaches, etc.).
It should be done on strangers, unobtrusively, from some distance. Try to do all five steps on the same person.

1. With attention on the person, repeat to yourself:
    “Just like me, this person is seeking some happiness for his/her life.”

2. With attention on the person, repeat to yourself:
    “Just like me, this person is trying to avoid suffering in his/her life.”

3. With attention on the person, repeat to yourself:
    “Just like me, this person has known sadness, loneliness, and despair.”

4. With attention on the person, repeat to yourself:
    “Just like me, this person is seeking to fulfill his/her needs.”

5. With attention on the person, repeat to yourself:
    “Just like me, this person is learning about life.”

Love is an expression of the willingness to create space in which something is allowed to change.

Selected from ReSurfacing®: ©Copyright 1994, 1997 by Harry Palmer.