Hi there. Welcome to Wake Me Up and to this Wake Up and Stretch episode,

where we'll get out of bed and prepare the body and mind for a great day.

This week, our theme is compassion. You know that each and every one of us is unique. We all want different things out of life and different things make us tick.

When you cross paths with someone, showing them compassion by recognizing the path they're on and the struggles they have can allow us to be more accepting of

our differences and it will help bring a positive interaction for everyone

involved so this week we'll work on developing more compassion not just for others but ourselves as well

Now I recommend you start this episode from bed, but if you're already up and about, that's just fine too.

Wherever you are, just pause for a moment.

Take a deep breath in, filling all the way into your lungs, hold it, and then release.

And think about someone in your life who shares their struggles with you, the problems they have, and what they're going through.

Someone you know pretty well, and that you have a generally good relationship with.

Take a moment just to appreciate this person, that they are a good force in your life and

that the two of you carry each other's burdens to a degree.

If I had to bet, you are pretty understanding of this person's frustrations, goals, excitements, and problems. You know them.

You have an idea of who they are and what they want out of life and that opens you up to accepting them for who they are.

That's such a special feeling, isn't it?

We don't have an endless amount of relationships of that kind of depth.

But that doesn't mean only our closest friends deserve compassion from us.

We can apply this open-mindedness and open-heartedness to everyone else and ourselves.

And through that, develop better relationships all around.

So today, why not set an intention of compassion by approaching

yourself and others with understanding and support.

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