One Kind Word

"Great teachers emanate out of knowledge, passion, and compassion." A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Teachers without compassion maintain tainted knowledge and unwholesome passions. Their knowledge lines up with limiting beliefs - that reflect the worst in others. And their passion lines up with fulfilling the deep, dark emptiness within. Teachers with compassion possess belief systems that are tolerant and inclusive of others' points of view. Their knowledge is deep and wide because their hearts accept an expansive and profound worldview. Their passion is centered on service to us all. Compassion is at the core of brilliance, helping make a better world. Compassionate teachers are the leaders of tomorrow.

"Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace." Albert Schweitzer
The most potent and detrimental illusion we face is that we can grasp happiness greedily for ourselves. We fail to see truth hidden behind this shroud of opulence. We cannot do much at all alone without each other. We are never genuinely independent. We are instead entirely interdependent. We depend on each other and all creatures for the basics like shelter, food, water, and air. We also rely on others for companionship, collaboration, community, and communication.
One Kind Word acknowledges our interdependence.

Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation." Henry Ward Beecher
 It is no wonder that our quick-fix, fast-food society elevates condemnation over compassion. Cursing causes a feeling of exhilaration in the moment. The release of emotion can be gratifying initially. But it can not create lasting positive change for the long haul. On the other hand, compassion requires some humility, tolerance, and patience in the moment. Yet, compassion builds healing, trust, and connection in the long haul. Perhaps, the modern world culture disguises the forces driving us apart as shiny objects of our heart's desire. This short-term fix has an exorbitant cost, and One Kind Word is an investment for generations to come.

https://brucewaynemclellan.com/one-kind-word

"It would be nice to feel that we are a better world, a world of more compassion and a world of more humanity, and to believe in the basic goodness of man." Barbara Walters
Jim Rohn taught us that "We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret." The pain of regret would not be very nice. I believe that suffering can become tremendous and not lessen over time.  And although the initial effort required to bridge the gap of kindness is great, that action can become much less painful over time. One Kind Word involves discipline.

"My dad's a beautiful man, but like a lot of Mexican men, or men in general, a lot of men have a problem with the balance of masculinity and femininity - intuition and compassion and tenderness - and get overboard with the macho thing. It took him a while to become more, I would say, conscious, evolved." Carlos Santana
Although men worldwide struggle with balancing traditional male roles with compassion, there is hope. Many men I have met join organizations like the Mankind Project (MKP). https://mankindproject.org/   The purpose of MKP is to create a safer world by growing "better" men. They do this by training men and supporting them in circles.  One Kind Word makes a better man.