How successful are the relationships in your life? Take a moment to reflect on a few of them— are they generally happy? Which are strained? And whether good or bad, consider, do you take enough time to give those bonds the care they deserve? What keeps you from sharing more love?
Many times, we don’t even realize that we’re not honoring the commitments of the affection our friends, family and partners deserve. And as such, it makes sense; life can feel too busy, distracted or disenchanted to show a little love to those outside of our immediate circle.
In a time in humanity when it’s difficult to find much compassion in the world for each other, Lion’s Roar asks the Dalai Lama how we can begin to get it right—wondering:
“How do we convince people that in the face of their own suffering and of all of the terrible things that happen in this world, that if we touch who we are, human beings are actually good?”
His Holiness explains that in our beginnings as children we’re not concerned with differences of others. As we grow our similarities, the common core of a human experience, becomes less important than our differences, the attributes that keep us from experiencing peace with each other.
We simply forget how similar we are inside. And our differences, he stresses, are manmade and based on the “secondary level:”
“Every human, fundamentally, we’re the same. All with the same experience from their mother… I think we must now look on the fundamental level that we’re seven billion human beings—all the same human beings, basically all the same brothers and sisters. Then, on the secondary level, yes differences. Different races, countries, religions… but there are not too many differences.”
Start with your own circle. Although the secondary dissimilarities may not necessarily be race, religion or country of origin, there are elements of our own relationships that we can work on to spread more joy to all.
Begin to examine why you feel as you do and make the changes you can make individually to help your personal unions grow. To change the world, we can start by changing what’s negative in our own interpersonal daily existence and, in turn, transform more than just ourselves.
When we begin to develop a core sensibility—choosing to become in tune with peace and harmony instead of dissonance and disillusionment—we’ll find and create more peace in the universe. Is it that easy? Give it a go! Make it your quest to spread happiness and light.