Welcome,
Take a moment to arrive here,
Wherever you are and however you feel,
You are welcome.
Allow your body to settle,
Feel the surface beneath you.
You do not need to hold yourself up,
Let the support be enough.
Notice your breath,
No need to change it,
Simply become aware of air moving in and out.
The body breathing itself,
Let this rhythm draw you into presence.
Relationships bring so much richness,
They can be a place of joy,
Laughter and deep connection.
And they can also be a place of tension,
Stress and misunderstanding.
We have all known the moment of feeling judged.
The moment of believing we have been treated unfairly.
The moment of wanting someone else to just behave differently.
Often,
It seems as though their words or actions are the cause of our upset.
It looks like we are hurt because of them,
Or stressed because of what they did.
Yet,
From a three principles perspective,
Our feelings are always shaped by thought in the moment,
Not by another person.
Take another breath here.
Notice the chest,
Rising and falling.
Let the exhale soften your shoulders.
Let the body release just a little.
When we forget that others are living in their own thought created world,
Compassion can feel impossible.
We become caught in judgement.
We want them to see life our way.
We want them to act according to our rules.
And that struggle drains us.
But for a moment,
Let's remember that they too are responding to the thoughts that look real to them.
As you remember this,
Notice that something changes.
Compassion begins to appear.
Not because you've worked hard at it.
Not because you forced yourself to be kinder.
But because understanding opens the door.
Pause here.
Notice your breath again.
The inhale.
The exhale.
The gentle rhythm that steadies you.
Gently think back to a recent misunderstanding.
It might have been small.
Or it might have felt big.
Recall how quickly the mind created a story about why the other person was wrong.
Or why they should have done better.
Now notice this.
They were simply living in the reality their thoughts created in that moment.
Just as you were living in yours.
That is all that was happening.
This is the foundation of compassion.
Recognizing that we are all doing our best with the thinking that looks true to us in the moment.
Breathe into that.
Feel how it softens the heart.
Compassion does not mean you agree.
It does not mean you excuse behavior.
It means you understand that behind the words and actions is a human being caught in their own flow of thought.
From that place,
Judgment loosens.
Connection becomes possible again.
Notice how your body feels now.
Any sensations of tension or tightness.
Let them be there without needing to change them.
Simply notice as you notice your thoughts.
Return once more to your breath.
Each inhale.
Each exhale.
A reminder of presence.
From a three principles perspective,
Feelings arise from the thoughts we believe.
When thought shifts,
Feelings shift.
Even the strongest frustration or anger can soften when thought moves on.
And when we see this in ourselves,
We can more easily see it in others.
They too are caught in passing thought.
They too believe what looks real in that moment.
And when thought changes,
Their behavior changes too.
This is why compassion is natural.
Not because it is virtuous.
But because it reflects how experience actually works.
Pause here again.
Take a slow,
Steady breath.
Notice the support beneath you.
Notice the simple fact of being here.
Compassion also brings relief to us.
It feels lighter than blame.
It allows the nervous system to settle.
It frees energy that judgment had been holding tight.
And from that place of well-being,
We meet others differently.
Less reactive.
More open.
More willing to listen.
Remind yourself gently,
I do not need to change the other person to be okay.
I do not need them to see life my way.
We can still be in connection,
Even when we disagree.
Let that truth land in your body.
Feel how it eases the pressure.
Imagine now someone you often clash with.
See them not as a problem,
But as another human being navigating their own separate reality.
Notice what happens inside you when you see them like that.
Perhaps the grip of judgment softens.
Perhaps there is a space for compassion.
Perhaps peace feels closer.
Rest here for a few breaths.
Allow compassion to arise naturally.
No need to create it.
No need to force it.
Just let it appear in the space that understanding opens.
Each of us lives in a thought-created world.
Remembering this truth makes room for compassion.
From here,
Connection is no longer about agreement.
It is about presence.
It is about being with another while letting them have their own experience.
Notice your breath again.
The gentle rise.
The gentle fall.
Let this rhythm remind you that you are safe.
That you are steady.
That you are more than the storm of thought.
Even in the hardest relationships,
This truth remains.
You are never directly feeling another person.
You are always feeling or thinking about them.
And they are doing the same.
This does not mean you avoid difficult conversations.
It means you enter them with less judgment.
More openness.
More compassion.
Because you see what is really going on.
Take another slow breath.
Let the exhale bring a sense of ease.
Compassion is not an achievement.
It is not something you need to strive for.
It is a remembering.
A remembering of how human experience truly works.
As you rest here now,
Notice your body again.
Notice the surface supporting you.
Notice the air moving through you.
Notice the stillness beneath it all.
In moments of conflict,
You can return to this.
Pause.
Breathe.
Remember.
Each of us is living in a thought-created world.
And when you see that,
Compassion arises.
Calm returns.
Connection becomes possible.
Take one final breath with awareness.
Let the exhale be a gentle release.
Remind yourself.
Nothing needs fixing in this moment.
You are whole.
They are whole.
And compassion is always here.
Waiting to be remembered.
Thank you for being here.
You can return to this reminder as often as you need.
The space of compassion is never far away.
And you are always already home.
