Always Err on the Side of Compassion

The best piece of marital advice I’ve ever heard came from an ex-priest, a kind and gentle man who has been married to his bride for longer than I’ve been alive. “Always err on the side of compassion,” he told me when I called him up all upset one afternoon after my husband and I got into a fight. I don’t even remember what the fight was about. Something stupid. But I remembered his advice and I’ve been trying to apply it not only to my marriage but to my life, in general. In fact, it has become my mantra. Always err on the side of compassion. It sounds so easy, but is so difficult to execute. The more books and blogs I read about depression — from diet protocols to literature on mindfulness techniques, from guidebooks about essential brain supplements to cognitive behavioral tricks designed to jump start the more sophisticated and nuanced parts of our brain — the more I think that I know the antidote for depression. Yes, years of research and trial and error have rendered me an expert on what not to do to reach the Promised Land, a tranquil state of mind that knows no panic attacks or tearful outbursts. Last month I spent a morning with a friend who started off the day with her signature power breakfast: three cigarettes, some instant coffee, and a donut. I so wanted to say, “You know … if you put down the lung rockets and swapped the donut for a kale smoothie, you might not be so depressed.” I was judging her. I was not errin...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Depression Disorders General Health-related Motivation and Inspiration Personal Bipolar Disorder Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intrusive Thoughts Major Depressive Disorder Mood Disorder Psychomotor retardation Seasonal Affective Dis Source Type: blogs