"If you take the desire for someone to be different out of the equation - you can meet them where they are. You can meet them in the real moment. You can meet them in their despair or their magnificence. And when you truly meet them, with no wishing for something different to wedge you apart, you'll know what to do. You will have the compassion to be calming, the humility to be reverent, or the wisdom to walk away." 

~Danielle LaPorte

Recognizing and respecting that we all have different life experiences, knowledge bases, and opportunities is so important. Realizing that there are things we KNOW so deeply and intuitively, which someone else may have no idea about. And, of course (and maybe more importantly), this applies back to us... that we are clueless about many things that others have mastered.

Albert Einstein is often attributed to a quote, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." 

That's where celebrating differences and being able to be compassionate and empathetic - meeting others where they are - is vital to our human experiences.

This occurs in many ways throughout our days, but I'll share that as I navigated the hectic South Side Giant Eagle this afternoon, this concept was certainly in my thoughts... and my practice. 

So... where do YOU find this practice!?

Namaste,

Kristi