Is the inflicting of pain and suffering what we want our life filled with? Of course not, but more people do just this without even thinking twice. When we go through life on automatic, without thinking once or twice or any, we let our issues, our hurts, our frustrations, our pains, our suffering, our misunderstandings and our prejudices which are all wrapped up in our subconscious, choose how we respond to other people within the relationships and interactions of our every day world.

For us to do differently, we have to think about it. We have to observe ourselves – think about how we relate to people – and think of the experiences that others may have of us.

Responding with compassion, or mercy – answering a situation with conscious patience, or understanding is not an automatic act which we can do ‘in our sleep’. We have to choose to act with compassion or mercy, or patience and understanding, …
or love.

If we’re not thinking of these, if these are not on our mind, we’re not doing these.

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How often do you check to see if you’re breathing? How often do you examine your breathing in and out?
This act of breathing is automatic, and for the most part, we don’t check to see if we’re breathing. We go about our life on automatic with our breathing. We don’t consciously inhale or exhale, …

unless we choose to consciously.

There are many exercises for consciously breathing – and for many purposes. One example is for athletics. I.e. For learning better swimming techniques, one must consciously be aware of one’s breathing in and out. Other examples are for many meditative or yogic practices.

For this article, the exercise of consciously being aware of breathing in and out can also serve to lead us to be aware of this one moment right now in which we are breathing (even while reading this article). If we realize that we can only breathe in this moment that we call Now, we have realized a great truth. We cannot breathe during times past, and we cannot breathe during future times. We can only breathe during the moment of Now.

This Now moment, also is the only time we can choose to bring forth an act of compassion or mercy. In this Now moment, represented by our awareness of our breathing in and out, right now, is the moment when we can choose to show patience, or kindness to whomever or whatever we’re in the vicinity of. In this Now moment, is the only moment when we can show Love, or forgiveness, or encouragement. In this Now moment is the only moment we can listen to another or comfort another, or support another in need.

This Now moment is the single most powerful, opportunity for accomplishing any and every transformative or healing act. This is because, we are conscious when we are recognizing NOW. And we can consciously choose to express any quality of Love which we want to – Now.

The question then begs, “What can we do NOW – while we’re noticing that we’re breathing in and out – to bring Love, Joy, Patience, Forgiveness, Mercy or any of these qualities in the world – right NOW?”

It’s okay to stop reading this article, and NOW act consciously to demonstrate Love and show this Love through any of these qualities.