"𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵" – Timeless Wisdom

One of the things I love about timeless wisdom is how often it challenges what we used to believe about ourselves—and life.

Today’s quote is from the Dalai Lama:
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩.”
And in his words:
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴, 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭.”

For a long time, I saw this differently.
When I was younger (😉), I had a very different view of compassion:
- I thought compassion was too soft, not something that mattered in the real world.
- I believed it belonged only in our personal lives—not in business, leadership, or performance.
- I associated it with weakness, or something only "sensitive" people talked about.
- I thought you either felt it or you didn’t—and if you didn’t, that was just the way you were wired.

Looking back, that view came from inexperience, and maybe even a fear of feeling too much.

Now I see compassion very differently. Through my own experiences—moments of pain, challenge, and also connection—I’ve come to understand that compassion is a strength. It takes real courage to sit with another person’s story without needing to fix it, judge it, or compare it.

It’s also something that can be nurtured. Just like gratitude, it can grow through practice, reflection, and lived experience. It’s not just an emotion—it’s a belief you can acquire and a habit you can train.

- Compassion doesn’t mean being passive or weak. It means being deeply human.
 - It means recognizing our shared struggles.
 - It means leading with presence and strength.
And yes—also in business. Especially in business.

The best leaders I’ve met lead with compassion and clarity. They connect first, then challenge. They listen before they judge.

How has your view of compassion changed over time?
Or has there been a moment where you felt its power, even when things were tough? I’d love to hear your thoughts.