Implicit in the Buddha's teachings about awareness is the message of self-compassion. We quite easily experience compassion for fellow human beings. We often overlook, however, that we are also in a relationship of compassion and kindness with ourselves. We get into heavy-duty guilt-trips because we see all that personal messy stuff within.

Opening Your Heart To Yourself

The Buddha is proposing a life-affirming view that could be very nourishing throughout your caregiving career. He points to your basic goodness, to your basic good heart. He teaches that when you consider that you are basically a very good person, when you begin to touch your heart or let your heart be touched, you discover how beautiful you are, how much warmth and gentleness there is within you.

When you open your heart to loving yourself, said this wise teacher, you feel an immense sense of well-being. This heart does not understand the language of good or bad, hope or fear, pleasure or displeasure, the shoulds, the musts, the have-to's.

(You will find that these themes of self-care and self-compassion are threads that weave through just about every CareinAction guidebook. Taking this gentle stance toward yourself is of pivotal importance if you are to be effective in your career as a caregiver!)