Essay
by Jacob Jatib
To
be a compassionate person one must understand the feelings
of others. That person must understand what it feels like
to be hurt. I am compassionate because I know what it feels
like to be pushed around as well as experience something
as devastating as losing a loved one. A compassionate person
must also have the ability to listen with an open heart
and have an open mind. That person really has to absorb
and understand what that other person feels. I know all
this because of the level of empathy I have and share. I
am always open to listen to other peoples' problems and
help them get through them. Altogether, there are three
main parts to be a compassionate person: to understand,
to listen, and to help others heal.
Because
of the loss of my mom, and my dad abandoning my family when
I was a child, and the recent loss of my sister, I understand
what it feels like emotionally when one suffers a loss.
Although it is impossible to know what this feels like to
another person, one can simply try to understand what that
person must be going through. Because of these life expereinces
I try my best to help comfort someone who is in need, to
distract their minds and help them think of other positive
things.
Being
understanding is only the first part, but I think listening
is the most difficult part for people. Listening is a very
important part in being compassionate. When someone is in
pain or suffers from a problem, they want to talk about
it, usually only with people they know who will listen.
When I listen to people, I try to picture what they are
describing in my head. Doing this allows me to create a
clearer picture of what they are going through. I never
interrupt them and never take sides. I focus my ears to
hear through their sobs or rage. Doing this allows me to
get the full message of what they are trying to express.
Helping
a person to heal is the nice ending to the whole story.
I always keep in mind that you can never heal the person
alone, that person must have the willingness and the will
to get past the pain. I will usually share with them a little
about my problems just to reassure them that they are not
alone. I also try to cheer up the person. When someone is
healing, I want them to have fun and to try to distract
the mind. The healing of the heart and mind can take a few
minutes or even a few years. It just depends on the person's
will and how severe the problem was. I never expect a person
to mend in a short time. There is no rushing or deadline.
The
three major parts to being a compassionate person are understanding,
listening, and healing. These three parts are my foundation
when I help people. The first time I showed someone compassion
and helped them to heal I received feeling that was beyond
words. When you help a person, you receive the greatest
feeling of satisfaction, and you know that you made a difference
in this person's life no matter how small.
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