Compassion Goes a Long way

I’ve been in the office for a couple of hours now and I haven’t been able to fully concentrate on finishing any task. The ground offensive against Gaza set a new record for inhumanity as well as stupidity on both the Arab and Western fronts.

What I wanted to say is that the past week has taught us a great deal about our situation as a global community. It has exposed deficits in both sides of the war, the public’s stance against the global governments as well as how ridiculously absurd of a concept it is to not have a voice in a supposedly-democratic world.

The message that the average Gazan citizen is showing us is that not only do we have to defend our rights but also have compassion.

We have to be compassionate about our lives, our friends and family and our circumstances. Observing the war shows you how little your problems really are, and that most of them are not truly worth the fuss. While it is important to be realistic about your own problems (because, granted, anything compared to war is nothing), it is also important to realize that with a little more compassion in your life, at least some of the problems would be resolved.

Do not hate yourself. Most of us are living with the guilt that we cannot help the Palestinian people. But we cannot help them if we continually live in this guilt. We have to be compassionate towards ourselves and others, and the guys at 7iber and the whole Aramex movement across Jordan and the UAE showed how a little compassion can go a long way, for us as individuals – that we overcame the guilt and helped – and for the Palestinians who are, hopefully, receiving our donations and the moral support.

My best friend is cooking up a great plan for aid that doesn’t require you to move off your seat, and I would be informing you about it when we have it settled.

In these times, appreciate what you have, appreciate your life, and do not forget those less fortunate. Be realistic and give attention to problems that truly require your attention. Love your friends, your spouses, kids, family, and most importantly, love yourself, so that you can love others.