Self-Compassion Short Cut
What I like about self-compassion teachings is that they encourage us to see ourselves as we are. What I don’t like is that they promote the idea that the mind and its ego should dictate how often and to what extent seemingly contrary, reactive thoughts and emotions are allowed to reveal themselves. To my way of thinking, this draws out suffering because policed emotions cannot do their primary job of leading you to healing, ego-transcending states of being. Self-compassion through measures of self-censorship simply cannot produce this type of awareness. So restricting yourself to the letter of current teachings on compassion deprives you of the greatest gift your deepest self has to offer: healing spiritual experiences, as a matter of course. And although these expansive experiences are nothing short of miraculous, they aren’t difficult to achieve. But don’t take my word for it. Add the Emotion Solution to your self-compassion practice and prove it for yourself.
Opening Up
Forcing yourself to somehow produce goodwill toward yourself or others yields questionable results, for any interfering emotion that you attempt to keep in check to attain a preferred state will frustrate your efforts. In the case of compassion toward self or others, the (seemingly) opposing emotion at hand is usually self-hatred or heartlessness. And no matter how hard you try to shoo these unwanted guests away, they’ll continue to make themselves known and thwart your success at attaining a fulfilling level of true compassion. But when the emotions surrounding your self-hatred and heartlessness are completely accepted and allowed to flourish, as taught by the Emotion Solution, what was previously rejected now opens the door to states of being that transcend and perfectly compensate for any issues that hold compassion at bay. And this route means that the arrival of self-compassion and love do not depend on coercion by your ego. Do you want to be truly open to all of yourself and freely receive the healing power of your higher nature? Choosing otherwise prolongs hardship.
Self-Compassion Leaves Nothing Behind
Why not fully identify with and become swept up in “negative” reactions? Have you ever tried to do so in a safe and constructive manner? Self-compassion teaching advises you to produce a compassionate response to your pain. But I say, why put your mental effort into producing a favorable response to your pain, one that can only generate lukewarm results, when you can simply feel that pain, move through it, and gain a truly spiritual perspective? This type of resolution, what the Emotion Solution offers, can occur within an hour of emotional processing at first, and with experience, within a matter of minutes. In this truly self-compassionate approach, your healing is expedited in an astonishing manner, while your suffering is cut short. And interestingly, this is the true compassionate response to disturbing thoughts and emotions that you try to disregard, for you are finally letting their voices be fully heard. You will find that these valid parts of yourself guide and heal you, and that, in fact, this is their highest purpose. If you need to conjure up compassion for anything, shine a light on the darker aspects of your nature and let them show you their true colors. Why not? Self-compassion teachings tell you that these parts belong to you anyway. To hold off and fail to fully and compassionately embrace any parts of your nature—especially those that are trying to inform you and raise you up—is self-defeating. Open your heart to your whole self, even those parts that you consider unacceptable, and let your higher nature lavish you with compassion beyond comprehension.